A Father's Heart
by Batwings79
Summary: Part 3 of my 'Heart Series' - William and Matthew finally return to Downton - This story focuses on Charles relationship with William and continues to develop the romantic relationships between Isobel/Richard and Charles/Elsie.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: HAPPY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL! So here you have it…after much clamoring by MORE than several of you! ;-) I must warn everyone that I will not be posting daily for Part 3 of my 'Heart' series. The plan currently is to post every third day until I finish the second half of the story. This part focuses more on Charles relationship with William as well as continuing to develop the relationship between Richard and Isobel. I hope you continue to enjoy this series. **_

_**Disclaimer: I found them in my Christmas stocking and decided that we could play with them for awhile until I need to return them to work on Series 3. My thanks to Mr. Fellowes and ITV developing these characters in the first place!**_

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><p>The crew had been working for five days in their efforts to make revisions to Crawley House to accommodate Captain Crawley and his wheelchair upon his release from the hospital in London. The 'crew' was made up of stable boys under the direction of Downton Abbey's Head Groomsman, Joseph Laughton. They were rather young...too young to be conscripted...but they were hard workers and their efforts were appreciated by the two men in charge of the project - Charles Carson, butler at Downton Abbey and Richard Clarkson the village doctor. The main problem was that the boys were also too young to have learned any but the most rudimentary skills in carpentry and plumbing so it often fell to the three older men to put in a full day's work on the more skilled tasks that needed doing.<p>

Richard and Charles were standing back to admire their handiwork when Elsie and Isobel walked into the converted sunroom.

"That should just about do it," said Richard.

"Another coat of paint tomorrow morning and we'll be finished," said Charles as he set the lid on a can of paint the color of fresh sage.

Richard walked over to Isobel and tried to wrap his arms around her but she put her hands against his chest and held him at arm's length.

"Not while you're covered in plaster and paint," she exclaimed with a look of mock horror on her face.

Elsie glared at Charles, daring him to even think about trying the same tactics. Charles just held up his hands as he said, "I know better, love. Come give us a kiss though for all the hard work we've done today?"

Elsie stepped up and removed the dish towel from her shoulder. She used it clean the majority of the plaster dust and smudges of paint from his face before taking hold of his collar and pulling his head down so that she could give him a quick peck on the lips. He chose that moment to engulf her in a huge bear hug as he buried his face in her neck.

"Charles!" she squeaked trying to break free from his embrace.

"I know it's better to catch you unawares before pouncing," he said laughing as he relaxed his arms to keep her from bruising his chest as she pounded on it with her small fists.

"Alright you two," said Isobel with a broad smile. "Mrs. Bird has fed Joseph's bunch and sent them home for the evening and she's got your dinner ready to be served. I'd like to be able to give her and Mr. Molesley the rest of the evening off but I know she won't go until she's at least served the main course."

"Right then, let's you and I go out to the pump and get cleaned up," said Charles fending off Elsie's last swipes with her dish towel.

-o O o-

They were using the pump and the old water trough to clean up so as not to make a mess inside the house. Elsie came out the door with clean towels as they finished rinsing off. She handed one to Richard and started rubbing down her husband's back with the other as both men stood shivering in the cold October air. Isobel appeared carrying undershirts and jumpers that had been warmed by the stove in Mrs. Bird's kitchen.

"Isobel, you're an angel of mercy," exclaimed Charles as he pulled the warm undershirt over his head.

"Shall I leave the two of you alone?" asked Elsie with a raised eyebrow, wrapping her arms around herself as she began to shiver in the cold.

Charles drew her into his arms and held her against his chest which was now covered by the warmed jumper. "Elsie, my love, you are still my first choice for keeping warm at night," he whispered in her ear as he planted a kiss on the side of her neck. She slipped her hands under his jumper and undershirt and started to run them up his back.

Charles yelped in surprise, "Your hands are like icicles!"

"Maybe we'd better get our angels of mercy into the house before we all turn into icicles," chuckled Richard as he pulled Isobel close to his side and turned to head for the side door.

-o O o-

Isobel had finally convinced Mrs. Bird that she and Elsie were capable of finishing the dinner preparations and that she should take the rest of the evening off as a reward for all the hard work that she'd been putting in keeping everyone fed for the past few days.

The men had worked their way through two servings each on the pot roast and had both leaned back in their chairs with their hands resting on their bellies.

"Mrs. Bird prepared a plum pudding for dessert," said Isobel rising to clear the table.

Richard took hold of her hand as she passed by his chair. "I couldn't eat another bite, my dear," he said as he kissed her palm. She paused long enough to cup his cheek and kiss the top of his head.

"There's a bottle of brandy in the front parlor," she said affectionately, "Why don't you two go in and relax by the fire while Elsie and I finish the dishes?"

Amid much groaning and the stretching of stiff limbs, both men managed to steal both a hug and a kiss before moving towards the parlor.

"What shall we do with them?" asked Isobel with a sentimental smile.

"Keep loving them," replied Elsie shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

When the two women had finished the dishes and walked into the parlor, they were greeted by the sight and sounds of two exhausted men. Richard lay across the settee while Charles sprawled in an armchair beside the fire, both men sound asleep and snoring loudly. Elsie walked over to where Charles sat and took the glass of brandy from his hand as it came dangerously close to spilling into his lap. She knelt beside the chair and rubbed his shoulder to wake him up.

"Come on sleepyhead," she said teasing him, "Let's take you home and put you to bed."

"You're more than welcome to stay in the spare room," offered Isobel as she reached down to pull Richards work boots off. He began to rouse and sat upright on the settee.

"Staying the night makes sense to me," he said with a stretch and a yawn. "We could make an early start on the painting if you're already here."

"Weeell…I should probably check on the family and see how Tobias has been doing," Charles said standing and stretching.

"Tobias has been doing a fine job of it and you know his Lordship has been well pleased with him," snorted Elsie as she took a sip of his brandy before handing the glass back to him.

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Charles with exaggerated concern.

"Afraid they'll put you out to pasture, old man?" teased Richard pulling Isobel down onto the settee beside him.

"Not really," he said quietly taking a sip of his brandy. "Besides, I can always take up carpentry and plumbing," he said as he dropped back into the armchair with an exaggerated groan.

A brief look of concern crossed Elsie's face as they broke into laughter. This wasn't the first time that Charles had hinted at some concern over his position at Downton recently. She didn't want to say anything in front of Richard and Isobel but made a mental note to herself to find out what was going on. She felt his hand cup her bottom as he guided her to sit across his lap in the armchair. She looked down at him with a raised eyebrow and he surreptitiously slid his hand from her bottom up to her hip but not before giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"So what happens next?" asked Elsie leaning back against his shoulder in the circle of his arm.

"We'll finish the painting and bring in the hospital bed and the other pieces of furniture for the sunroom and that should do it as far as the house is concerned," replied Charles.

"Matthew and William will arrive day after tomorrow," said Isobel with a sigh. Richard gently rubbed her back to ease the tension that he could feel building up in anticipation of Matthew's homecoming.

Matthew had reconciled with his mother before Isobel left London to return home but she still had not imparted the news about her relationship with Richard Clarkson. She justified it to herself that she was not even sure she had a relationship with Richard at that point but in the days since her return, there was little doubt that he loved her and was devoted to finding a way to support her through the hard days ahead with Matthew's recovery.

"Will you and Charles be staying?" Isobel asked Elsie as she rose to her feet and held out her hand to Richard.

Elsie looked at Charles as he replied, "It _would_ mean an early start tomorrow. And I suppose that someone would have sent for me if there had been an emergency at the Abbey."

"Och no! The Abbey daren't have an emergency without the butler in attendance!" teased Elsie thickening her Scottish brogue just a bit to spite him.

"This one can sleep in the water trough, Mrs. Crawley!" responded Charles rising from the chair with Elsie in his arms. He had taken two steps towards the door to the back garden when she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Promise?" he said with a wicked grin. "Where is that spare bedroom, Isobel?"

"Charles Carson! That is not funny!" exclaimed Elsie as he set her down on her feet.

"Richard, I think it is time to put the children to bed," said Isobel with a smile. She led the way up the staircase and showed them down the hall to the spare bedroom. Richard moved to set the fire in the fireplace for them. "Come to my room and I'll find a nightgown for you," Isobel said as she linked arms with Elsie and led her back along the hall.

"I'll take care of the fireplace, you have another fire…or two to start tonight," Charles said quietly motioning towards Isobel as she led Elsie out of the room. "You've only a few nights before Matthew comes home, you should make the most of them," he continued when Richard frowned at him.

Elsie came back into the room just then clutching a nightgown and Isobel's spare robe. Richard stepped over to kiss her on the cheek and said, "Sweet dreams, Elsie my girl and don't keep Charles up too much later. I'll need him in good form tomorrow morning." Just then, Charles stood up from where he had finished setting the fire and groaned as he clutched the small of his back.

Elsie rolled her eyes and turned to Richard, "I think I'll be spending most of my night rubbing liniment into tired _old_ muscles."

Richard laughed as he bid them a good night and left the room. Charles walked over and wrapped Elsie in a bear hug and began to nuzzle her neck. She ran her hands up and down his back in long strokes massaging his back through his jumper.

"Mmm, that does feel good, my dear," he said softly, looking down at her with a smile.

"Oh go on with you!" said Elsie affectionately. "Take off your jumper and undershirt and I'll give you a backrub."

-o O o-

Richard found Isobel sitting at her vanity in her nightgown brushing her hair out. He undressed down to his undershorts and walked around the end of the bed to crawl in the other side. He put an extra pillow behind his head so that he could watch her in the mirror.

"What's troubling you?" he asked after watching her for a few minutes.

"Hmm?" she mumbled coming out of her reverie. "I'm sorry, Richard." She set down her brush and climbed into her side of the bed to finish braiding her hair. She turned down the lamp and snuggled down into the covers. She reached over to raise his arm and put it around her shoulders so that she could lay her head on his chest. He felt the first of her tears and turned towards her so that he could pull her closer. He wrapped both his arms and his legs around her so that she could feel his warmth and his strength surrounding her.

"Tell me," he whispered in her ear after she had calmed a bit.

"You've been talking to Charles," she laughed softly, her breath tickling his chest.

"Taking lessons in 'masterful and commanding' if you must know," he said as he kissed her forehead.

"I don't know what's wrong with me…" she trailed off.

"There's nothing wrong with you, my darling," he pulled her close and kissed her slowly and passionately. "I can feel that you are worried about Matthew and what will happen after he comes home. That is a lot for anyone."

"It's been so wonderful these past few days…working with you here at the house and at the hospital…and most of all, having you here with me at night…" she stretched to kiss _him_ slowly and passionately.

"I've been thinking about that a bit lately," said Richard carefully trying to broach a topic when he wasn't sure how she would react. When she didn't respond, he continued, "We should be finished with the sunroom by mid-day tomorrow and I thought that we could do rounds at the hospital in the afternoon and then we would have dinner at my house….I could show you my prowess in the kitchen."

"Your prowess in the kitchen?" she giggled.

"Alright, I'll show you my prowess at unpacking the basket that I arranged for Mrs. Bird to prepare for us," he laughed and kissed her on top of the head.

"Mmm…" she hummed against his chest as her hand began to wander down over his stomach. In the nights that they'd spent together, Isobel discovered that her favorite part of his body was also the lower abdomen just below his navel but for a very different reason than his fascination with hers. She discovered that if she brushed the hairs on his lower abdomen up towards his chest, it would elicit several delicious reactions in him. The most important of which was the swelling of a certain member much to her satisfaction.

"Isobel," he said taking in a shuddering breath as she teased his chest with her tongue, "since I am about to suffer a loss of all coherent thought, would you please remind me that I have something to ask you in the morning?"

She giggled as she raised herself up to nibble her way across his chest. She could feel his reaction to her attentions brushing against her arm and reached down to slide his undershorts off of his legs. Suddenly, he pushed her onto her back and straddled her hips, holding her wrists on either side of her head. He leaned in to kiss her and tease the sensitive spot on her collarbone causing her to moan and wriggle beneath him. When he stopped to look at her face, she decided to try and distract him, to turn the tables and take back control.

"Are you sure you don't want to ask me your question now?" she asked coyly trying to keep an innocent expression on her face.

"Oh no, you don't," he said in a menacing whisper as he leaned in close to her ear. "You started this and I intend to see that you finish it!" He pulled back and she could see the gleam in his eye and the playful grin on his face.

He leaned in to kiss her on the mouth and it wasn't long before they were both moaning and murmuring each other's name. He loved how her body seemed to match his with every motion and every nuance, as if they were made for each other. He recognized the signs as she began clutching the sheets and the way that she called his name at the end left him quivering in her arms as his breathing and pulse rate began to smooth out.

He rolled onto his side and reached out with his arm to pull her to him. He groaned as the motion set up a dull ache across his shoulder. He ended up letting her fall back onto the bed and she started to laugh.

"Give over," she said as she nudged his side with her elbow. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Onto your stomach," she said motioning him to turn over. "You're going to smell like lavender in the morning but I think you'll feel better for it." She reached for the bottle of lotion that she kept by her bedside and began to massage his back and shoulder.

_**A/N2: Reviews make excellent Christmas presents and I've been a very good girl this year! ;-)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Chapter Two, right on schedule! I hope that everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. **_

_**Disclaimer: The only characters that are mine are Mr. Joseph Laughton and his merry band of stable boys. Everyone else belongs to ITV and Mr. Fellowes and are only on loan to me as I am not making any money off of my stories…only a lot of enjoyment!**_

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><p>The sound of hammers greeted Charles as he stretched this morning. He opened his eyes and realized that he was not in their bed in the groom's cottage. He looked over at Elsie sleeping on the pillow beside him and smiled. He constantly wondered why he had been blessed to be loved by such a wonderful woman. She was a firm but fair head of staff but once she allowed someone to step beyond her 'stern housekeeper exterior' they often found that she was also kind, compassionate and loving. He started to turn so that he could take her into his arms when he heard whispered voices in the hallway outside the bedroom door.<p>

-o O o-

"Richard," whispered Isobel , "let them sleep."

"Charles said that he wanted to be up early so we could be sure to be finished by mid-day," replied Richard.

"Don't forget that their day begins at a different hour than ours does at the hospital," she said raising an eyebrow at him. "It's not their fault that you're in the habit of making morning rounds at the crack of dawn." She laughed as he drew her into his arms.

"You weren't complaining about my waking you so early this morning," he said suggestively into her ear as he bent to kiss the side of her neck.

"Yes, but somehow I don't think that Charles would appreciate waking up with your hands…"

-o O o-

The sound of her voice was suddenly cut off and Charles was pretty sure that he knew the reason why. He chuckled to himself as he turned over in the bed and snuggled up behind his beautiful wife. He wrapped both his arms and legs around her as he kissed a particularly sensitive patch of skin behind her left ear.

"Mmmm…" Elsie stretched her neck in response to the attention. She turned in his arms and pressed herself to his chest. She opened her eyes and they suddenly widened when she realized where they were. "Charles, judging by the sunlight, we should be up and having breakfast by now!"

"I just heard Isobel telling Richard that he should leave us sleeping," he said nuzzling her neck as his hands began to stroke her back and hips.

"They're up already! Let me go!" she exclaimed as she tried to extricate herself from his arms.

Charles tried to hold her in the bed but when she threatened him with a pillow over the head he laughed and released her. "You win," he said raising his arms to defend himself. He sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks and trousers as she came around the end of the bed to take her clothes from the wardrobe.

She turned back just as he looked up from tying his shoelaces and an unruly lock of his curly dark hair fell down over one eye. He gave her a rakish grin and she felt her heart do a little flip-flop as she reached over to push the hair out of his eyes.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" she asked standing up from planting a soft kiss on his mouth.

"Enough to come back to bed with me?" His arms snaked around her waist as he pulled her onto his lap for a deeper kiss. His hands loosened the belt on her dressing gown and he reached up to slide it off her shoulders as he moved from her lips to nibble the side of her neck.

"Charles, we really shouldn't," said Elsie feeling a bit breathless from the attention that his hands were currently paying to her breasts.

"It wouldn't have to take long, love," he whispered hoarsely in her ear.

He slipped one hand under the hem of her nightgown and found that she was more than ready for him. He pushed her up so that he could loosen the fastenings on his trousers and then settled her onto his lap with her back against his chest. He slid her nightgown over her head and tossed it across the room as his hands found their way back to her breasts. She always liked it when he wrapped his arms around her like this, whether they were making love or just sleeping, and it wasn't long before her back was arching and she was trembling in his arms. He bit down on the back of her shoulder to muffle his own groans at the end but soon followed with gentle kisses to soothe her skin.

"Oh, Elsie girl," he murmured in her ear as his breathing began to even out. "I missed you so much while you were in London and now I just can't seem to get my fill of you."

"Mmmm…that was wonderful," she purred laying her head back on his shoulder as he nuzzled her neck. "And I hope you _never_ get your fill…but we really need to get downstairs before Isobel comes up here knocking on the door."

"Are you certain that they'll miss us?" he teased as she stood and walked towards the bathroom to finish dressing.

-o O o-

They rounded the corner onto the lower landing when the doorway to the sunroom came into view along with the figures of Richard and Isobel. Elsie held up her hand to stop Charles on the steps and placed her fingers over his lips to quiet him so as not to disturb the couple below.

"I can't believe how much you've accomplished in such a short period of time," Isobel said leaning against Richard and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Couldn't have done it without Charles and Joseph…especially without the stable boys," said Richard tightening his arm around her. "We'll have to find a way to say thank you."

"How do I thank _you_?" she asked giving him an affectionate smile.

"Seeing _that_ look in your eyes…you just did." He brought his hand up to caress her cheek and allowed his fingers to linger just under her jawline, "Hmm, pulse racing just a bit."

"Richard Kyle Clarkson! You are incorrigible," she laughed as he bent his head to kiss her.

Charles looked bewildered at the interaction and Elsie whispered to him, "I'll explain later." Raising her voice to let the other couple know of their presence before things got any more intimate, "I hear Joseph and the boys outside, did they leave us any breakfast?"

-o O o-

The two women were enjoying a second cup of tea after the men had gone to join the rest of the crew working on the sunroom.

"Elsie," began Isobel quietly, "Richard has asked me to come and stay the night at his house."

Elsie raised an inquisitive eyebrow but chose not to say anything.

"He said that he wanted to offer an option for nurturing our relationship. He said that there would be times when Matthew was away …or the occasional quiet afternoon when the hospital wasn't busy…" her voice getting softer as she trailed off.

Elsie remained silent as she looked at Isobel over the rim of her teacup.

"Please say something," exclaimed Isobel.

"You've told me what Richard thinks," Elsie said carefully, "But you haven't said a word about what you think or how you feel about it."

"I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it," she said staring into her own teacup to avoid Elsie's gaze.

"Have you given him your answer yet?" Isobel silently shook her head no. Elsie couldn't imagine that Richard would be such a cad but she had to ask the question, "It isn't a _condition_ of continuing your relationship, is it?"

"Heavens no! He's been very clear that any of it is completely up to me. He would like for me to come over to dinner tonight and he will bring me home to Crawley House directly after if I wish it. He's not placed any conditions on anything."

"Then what is it that is holding you back?" Elsie asked setting her teacup back into the saucer.

"I don't know," she said quietly, "I guess it is the implication of it all being just a tawdry affair. That we'll be making dates and…_sneaking around_ behind everyone's back."

"Is that not what you are doing?" asked Elsie.

"Yes," huffed Isobel with a bit of a pout, "But until _now_ it didn't feel like sneaking around."

Elsie laughed, "Until _now_…Matthew wasn't about to arrive home and now you're feeling guilty."

"Perhaps," she grumbled.

"Try it from this perspective," said Elsie leaning across the table to squeeze her hand. "This is something that everyone needs to time to adjust to, including you and Richard…and with Matthew at home, he can't exactly spend a lot of time at your house? He's just trying to find a way for the two of you to be together."

"I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else," said Isobel with a deep sigh of relief.

"Come on, I'll help you decide what to take for tonight," said Elsie rising to clear away the teacups. "I'll have Charles sneak your case into the boot of Richard's car later so that you can surprise him."

-o O o-

Charles and Richard were sitting out on the stone wall in the garden basking in the sunshine on what had turned out to be an unusually warm day. The stable boys had finished constructing the ramps that would allow Matthew to maneuver his wheelchair up the outside steps from the driveway to the garden where the French doors to the sunroom would give him unhindered access to what would now be his ensuite bed-sitting room.

"You've been awfully quiet this morning," said Charles taking a sip from his mug of tea.

"Just thinking," murmured Richard.

"Judging by the frown on your face, you've been worrying about something as well." Charles stretched and rubbed at his sore back. "If it's about Isobel, you know that Elsie will tell me about it…sooner or later."

Richard let out a sharp laugh, "You're probably right."

"And…so you're going to tell me first…" Charles trailed off expectantly after waiting a few more minutes for Richard to respond.

"I asked Isobel to stay the night at my house tonight," said Richard staring down into his own mug.

"And she said no?"

"No…no, she said yes," stammered Richard.

Charles chuckled at his friend, "Go on."

"I might have suggested that Isobel bring over a few things," said Richard blushing, "things that would make her more comfortable when she did stay over." Richard bristled and stood with his back towards Charles. "I told you that I wasn't any good at this!"

"You must be doing something right, my boy," said Charles rising to place a soothing hand on his shoulder, "if Isobel Crawley has agreed to move in with you!"

"Charles!" he exclaimed, "That's not what I asked of her!"

"Isn't it?" queried Charles with a raised eyebrow.

"That most certainly wasn't what I intended!" he said with a scowl that quickly gave way to worry. "And I hope that's not what she's thinking…"

"Then what did you intend."

"I just wanted to make it as easy for her as possible," said Richard. "I thought that if she kept a nightgown and a change of clothing at the house, it would be easier for her to say _yes_. Maybe I am being selfish."

As their friendship developed, Charles found that he received much more information when he let Richard ramble so he settled back on the wall and continued to listen.

"I'll admit it Charles, I'm not looking forward to sleeping in my empty bed back in my own empty house. How did you and Elsie do it for so many years?" Richard turned to look at his friend. "How did you make it through spending occasional nights together knowing that you'd be separated for days at a time afterwards?"

"It did help to be living in the same house," said Charles ruefully, "but I understand the feeling, especially when our romance was so new. You will find a way to work it out, so don't be discouraged. And making things easier for Isobel will go a long way towards soothing her nervousness about the situation."

Isobel and Elsie came through the French doors from the sunroom carrying two trays, one piled high with sandwiches and fresh fruit and the other laden with an oversized teapot, mugs and treacle for dessert. Richard rose to take the tray from Isobel and was surprised when Elsie placed her tray in his hands instead.

"Charles, there's something that Isobel would like for you to take a look at in the front hallway before you put away all the tools," said Elsie looping her arm through his.

"Should I come along?" asked Richard as he placed the tray he was carrying on top of the garden wall.

Charles caught the warning look in Elsie's eyes and replied, "No, it's probably nothing. Why don't you bring over a couple of those chairs for the girls and we'll be back shortly."

-o O o-

Elsie shushed him as they walked through the sunroom and refused to look at him until they exited through the doors on the opposite side of the room. Charles looked around the front hall and noticed the suitcase sitting at the foot of the stairs. He made sure to keep his expression neutral when he turned to face her.

"Could you please put that suitcase into the boot of Richard's motorcar, please?" she asked innocently.

"Is someone running away from home?" he asked raising his eyebrows at her.

"I'll explain later but Isobel would appreciate it if you would do her this favor and not say anything about it to Richard."

"That's quite some conversation that we're going to be having…_later_," he said with a touch of sarcasm. He laughed at the scornful look that crossed her face for a moment. "I think Richard has already explained everything but you're right, we'll have to compare notes." She smiled up at him and then kissed the corner of his mouth as he bent down to pick up the suitcase.

"Oh! Wait!" she suddenly exclaimed, "where is that box I asked you to put in the closet for me?"

Charles walked over to the coat closet and reached to the far left corner to retrieve the white box with the bright blue ribbon on it.

"Is this what I think it might be?" asked Charles with wicked grin on his face.

"It might be," replied Elsie with an equally broad grin on her face. "But as you can see, it is addressed to Richard and no peeking!"

"But how am I supposed to find out for sure?"

"You'll just have to wait until Richard tells you about it," she said a snort.

"There are a lot of things that Richard and I talk about…as friends…but the _details_ of our love lives would not be one of them," he said with a wry smile.

She smiled back him, "Well…I can tell you that it's not exactly like the one that Isobel gave to you." She reached down to open the case and place the box inside with the note addressed to Richard displayed prominently on top.

"Good!" he exclaimed. "There's only one woman that I want to see in…or out…of that particular nightgown," he said suggestively waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Go on," she said blushing as she playfully batted his arm. "Put the case in the car before Richard comes in here looking to lend a hand."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: I appreciate your reviews, especially when you think I've gone a little OOC or when the anachronism alarm goes off…makes me do the research! **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Ya'll have been rather quiet but the stats show that you're reading this story soooo…here's chapter three for your enjoyment! ;-)**_

_**ANNOUNCEMENT: This may not be the appropriate place to do this but it seems the best way to reach the most number of people so here goes...There is a new forum - 'All Things Downton Abbey' - that has been set up here at Fanfiction for future challenges and for discussion threads. Go to: Forums - TV Shows - Downton Abbey - All Things Downton Abbey - to read the Welcome Message and subscribe if you so desire. **_

_**Disclaimer: Characters in this chapter belong to ITV and Mr. Fellowes…except for Tobias and Andy, who are 'mine all mine!' I gain no monetary compensation from these stories, just a lot of personal enjoyment. **_

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><p>Charles and Elsie returned to the Abbey in the early afternoon. Charles went up to their room in the servants' quarters to bathe and change into his uniform. He'd no sooner returned to his pantry when the bell rang from his Lordship's study. Tobias came charging out of the servants' dining room and almost ran into his chest.<p>

"Sorry, Mr. Carson," said Tobias who was a bit out of breath in his excitement. "Would you like for me to attend to his Lordship?" Tobias reached to pull down his waistcoat as he straightened his shoulders and drew himself up to his full 5-feet, 10-inches in height. He wasn't quite as tall as Mr. Carson but he could cut quite a handsome figure with his dark hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"I'll attend to his Lordship, I need to report to him on the progress over at Crawley House anyway," said Charles in a solemn voice. "I trust you still have the key to the silver cupboard? Then I'll leave you to attend to the preparations for tonight's dinner service. You will inform me of your recommendations upon my return to the pantry."

"Yes, sir!" replied Tobias snapping to attention.

Charles turned to see Elsie standing in the doorway to her parlor with a small frown on her face. He reached over to brush her cheek with his hand and winked at her on his way toward the staircase leading above stairs.

-oOo-

"Carson, I wasn't expecting to see you," said his Lordship upon Charles arrival in his study. "How is everything going over at Crawley House?"

"We finished just before lunch your Lordship," replied Charles.

"Very good," said his Lordship, "Then you'll be able to start right away on Grantham House."

"Beg pardon," queried Charles with a puzzled expression.

"As you're aware, Carson, I've been living in a flat in London provided by the War Office instead of living at Grantham House. I chose to do that in the hopes that Grantham House would be spared commandeering as officers' quarters so that it could be used by the family during their outings to London. Unfortunately, that is not to be the case and if I wish to save a portion of the House for private use, then I must make renovations to separate the family living area from the officers' quarters."

"I see, sir," replied Charles standing stiffly next to his Lordship's desk.

"Yes, I thought that you and I could go over the floor plans while I was here this week to determine which rooms would be retained for the family and then you could come down to London after Christmas to oversee the renovations in time for the upcoming Season."

"Wouldn't this be better handled by the London caretaker, Mr. Simmons?" asked Charles looking skeptical.

"Mr. Simmons has been called up and will be reporting for duty before the end of the month. You know that house as well as or perhaps even better than Mr. Simmons so who better to tackle this task, eh Carson?" Charles skepticism had turned to concern at this point and Lord Grantham noticed the frown that had come across his face.

"If you need some assistance, perhaps you could bring Tobias down with you. He'll need to learn how to run Grantham House as well and this is the perfect opportunity for you to show him the ropes and introduce him to the merchants and the tradesmen." Charles was silent for a few moments as he processed what his Lordship had implied about Tobias taking over the running of Grantham House.

"If you don't have any other questions Carson," said his Lordship at the prolonged silence.

"Just one, sir," began Charles, "If I am not to manage Grantham House in the future, would it not be prudent to offer the position to William now that he has returned? He did become first footman after Thomas left and it would be logical to raise him to the position."

"I understand but there are several factors to consider. First, we may not know for several months whether William will fully recover from his injuries and whether or not he will be up to the task of running Grantham House, at least for the upcoming season. Second, Tobias has the experience that William lacks. He's been performing admirably in your absence and I really think that he has what it takes to do the job. He reminds me a lot of you, Carson," said his Lordship smiling.

"Well," began Charles snapping out of his reverie, "I don't think that there are any decisions regarding William or Tobias that need to be made tonight."

"Quite right," said his Lordship rising and whistling for his dog, Pharaoh. "We're off to the village if anyone comes looking for us."

"Yes, your Lordship," replied Charles turning and heading for the servants' stairs.

-oOo-

Charles had forgotten that Tobias would be waiting for him in his pantry when he arrived. He entered to find that Tobias had laid out the silver for this evening's dinner service on top of his desk so he had no choice but to review the recommendations so that the silver could be removed to the dining room as soon as possible.

Thoughts about his conversation with his Lordship were still swirling around in his mind and so he decided that perhaps this would be a good time to test Tobias to see if he really did have the skills and the stamina to become a butler.

"Alright, young man," said Charles thoughtfully. "Explain to me how you reached your recommendations for the dinner service tonight."

"Yes, sir," Tobias said hesitantly, unaware that he was being tested. "First, I met with her Ladyship to determine exactly who would be dining this evening. She informed me that it would be the immediate family with Lady Violet, Mrs. Crawley and Dr. Clarkson. Later, his Lordship informed me that due to the activities at Crawley House this morning, Mrs. Crawley and Dr. Clarkson would be held over at the hospital and unable to attend."

A faint smile crossed Charles face at this news, "Continue."

"Based on that, my recommendations for china service would be the Crawley family crest with the maroon pattern and silver gilt trim," said Tobias confidently.

"And why would you choose the more formal service when it is just the family dining this evening?" asked Charles.

"Because Lady Violet will be dining with the family," said Tobias.

"Explain," commanded Charles.

"If it was just the immediate family…his Lordship, her Ladyship and the younger Ladies…I would have chosen the informal Cottage Rose service."

"Why?" Charles had taken to one word questions and answers.

"Because it makes her Ladyship happy," began Tobias who continued when he saw the frown on Charles face. "Whenever we use the Cottage Rose service, the very first thing that her Ladyship does when she sits at the table is to touch the raised roses on the dinner plate and smile. She looks very happy and contented so I believe that she enjoys using that service."

Charles was amazed that Tobias was that observant. He knew for a fact that her Ladyship did indeed prefer the Cottage Rose service because it reminded her of her mother. Charles went on to listen to his remaining recommendations and had to admit that he could not find fault with a single one. Charles may have chosen one or two pieces differently but there was nothing inherently wrong with the choices that Tobias made.

"Well done," said Charles with genuine admiration for the young man. "Get one of the hall boys to help you take all of this up to the dining room and you may begin dressing the table right away."

Elsie walked into his pantry just as Tobias and Andy were carrying out the last of the silver pieces headed for the dining room. She closed the door behind them and crossed the room to stand next to his desk chair where he was seated to work on the accounts. He looked up at her as she leaned back against the edge of his desk with her arms across her chest.

"I really need to work on these accounts for a bit before dinner this evening," he said looking up at her as he reached over and massaged the back of her knee. He liked when she leaned against his desk like this because he could touch her without anyone being the wiser if they were to walk in unannounced.

"Are you going to tell me what all this business is with Tobias?" she frowned down at him.

Charles heaved a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair. "I thought we were supposed to meet later tonight and compare notes?"

"That was about Richard and Isobel," she said evenly continuing to look him directly in the eye.

"I was planning on coming to your parlor at the end of the day as usual and would share all the news with you then," he said a bit disconsolately. He had removed his hand from her leg and reached up to scratch the back of his head as was his habit when something was bothering him.

"Just so long as you do," she said with a small smile and she reached out to smooth the hair at his temple where he had ruffled it. He took hold of her hand and turned it so that he could kiss the inside of her wrist. "Will I see you before midnight?" she asked.

He looked up at her with a twinkle in his eye, "His Lordship informed Tobias that Mrs. Crawley and Dr. Clarkson would be unable to attend this evening as they would be detained at the hospital for their evening rounds." They both laughed knowing what plans the two likely had in store for each other. "Since it will be just the family, I think it will be an early night. If not, I'll just send Tobias up." He noticed the frown that flitted across her features for a moment.

"Does that concern you?" he asked.

"No…you said we'd talk and compare notes tonight, _after_ dinner," she said firmly as she reached over and smoothed the furrow that had appeared across his forehead. She followed the caress with a kiss to his brow as she stood and crossed the room. He watched her walk out the door and wondered why she was so concerned with Tobias all of a sudden when she'd been expounding on his virtues just the night before.

-oOo-

Charles was deeply immersed in the accounts when he suddenly realized that he should have been upstairs in the dining room half an hour ago. He thundered through the servants' hall on his way to the staircase scaring two of the scullery maids when they came around the corner. He arrived in the hall outside the dining room to find that Tobias had ushered the family in to dinner and had begun to serve the wine and hors d'oeuvres right on schedule. He watched from just outside the doorway while Tobias led and directed the service right through to the main course.

"I expected Carson to be here," commented his Lordship as Tobias bent to serve the roast prepared by Mrs. Patmore.

"Mr. Carson was reconciling the accounts and said that he would be here to direct the main course and I believe that he has arrived," said Tobias straightening to serve her Ladyship.

As if on cue, Charles walked through the doorway from the hallway, "I trust that everything is to your Lordship's liking?"

"Fine, Carson, running like clockwork," said his Lordship. Charles took up his station beside the sideboard and directed the rest of the service from there. He kept a close watch on Tobias as he worked through the courses to the end of the meal.

"Since I am on my own for male company this evening," said his Lordship rising from the table and holding out his hand to his wife, "I'll just go through with the Ladies this evening and continue to enjoy their company. Tobias, I'll have a brandy in the drawing room."

"I'll leave you to it then, shall I?" queried Charles turning to the young footman.

"You can count on me, Mr. Carson," said Tobias as he headed toward the drawing room with his Lordship's brandy on a tray.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: Reviews are welcomed and encouraged…and many thanks to everyone who has commented so far. Interesting speculation in some cases...LOL! ;-)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I wanted to wish all my Downton Abbey AU friends out there a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year! And here's another chapter to brighten your New Year morning! **_

_**I know ya'll are going to enjoy this chapter…especially the Charles/Elsie shippers. Just be sure to read the Author's Notes at the end of the chapter as they contain some additional information!**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters in this chapter belong to Mr. Fellowes…but they are DEFINITELY having a better time here in my little AU. I receive no monetary compensation for my stories.**_

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><p>Charles arrived in his pantry even earlier than usual and decided to finish up the few accounting tasks that remained before joining Elsie in her parlor. Two hours later, the door to his pantry opened and Elsie entered bearing a tray of sandwiches and a pot of tea.<p>

"I'm sorry, love," said Charles looking up at the clock to see that it was almost eleven o'clock. "Are those for me?"

"For us," Elsie replied shooting a small glare at him. "I decided to wait and have my supper with you." Charles cleared the paperwork from his desk and took the tray from her indicating the chair across from him.

"I am sorry but at least the accounts are caught up now." He handed her a small plate with a sandwich and turned to pour her a cup of tea. Elsie gave a quiet snort but didn't comment. She waited until he had eaten his second sandwich before she broached the topic that most concerned her.

"Charles," she began tentatively, "Are you going to tell me why you are so concerned about Tobias all of a sudden?"

"That has to do with his Lordship," he said with a deep sigh explaining his Lordship's plans for training Tobias to manage Grantham House.

"Do you think that he's up to the task?" she asked with concern.

"To be honest, I can't think of anyone better suited to the job. He is efficient and his attention to detail is amazing," he went on to explain how Tobias figured out his Ladyship's preferred china service.

"Is his Lordship planning to replace you?" she finally asked the question that had been nagging at her since last night.

Charles eyebrows hiked up almost to his hairline at her question. "There's been no indication that he's displeased with my work," he said pondering her question. "I've been more concerned about William."

She looked at him with a puzzled frown, "William, what does William have to do with anything?"

"It would be his right as first footman to take over the management of Grantham House in the absence of myself or Mr. Simmons."

"Do you think that William will be ready to resume those responsibilities in time?" she asked quietly concentrating on her hands folded in her lap. As much as she loved William, she herself had concerns regarding his recovery once he arrived back in the village tomorrow.

"That was his Lordship's point," said Charles with a heavy sigh as they were interrupted by a knock on the pantry door.

"Come in," he responded.

Tobias came through the door just then with the remaining wine from the dinner service balanced on a tray. "The family has retired for the night. Andy and I have brought all the silver down and laid it out on the table in the servants' dining room but I know that you do not want us to polish the silver in there."

Charles took the two half-empty bottles of wine from him and set them on a small table behind his desk.

"I'll clean this lot up so that you can work in here," said Elsie as she picked up the dinner tray from the middle of his desk. Charles smiled at her appreciatively.

"Bring the silver in here and I'm sure that we can make short work of it between the three of us," he commanded with a meaningful look in Elsie's direction. She nodded almost imperceptibly in acknowledgment as she headed out the door.

-o O o -

She finally returned from the scullery just as Charles was dismissing the two young men. "Good night, Tobias…Andy," she said as the boys passed her on their way out the door. "Everyone else has gone up for the night," she said to Charles as he turned and poured them each a glass of wine.

He handed one glass to her as he said, "We still have notes to compare."

She started to move to the other side of his desk when he caught her arm and steered her over to his chair. He placed one hand on her hip and guided her to stand between his knees after he'd seated himself. He placed both hands on her waist to boost her up to sit on the edge of his desk.

He leaned back in his chair taking a sip of his wine, "Richard told me that he asked Isobel to come over to stay the night with him."

"Did he also tell you that he suggested that she leave some of her clothing at his house so that she wouldn't have to pack a case each time?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"He did and he was rather panicked about it," he chuckled. "I had told him that he must have done something right if Isobel was willing to move in with him."

"Charles! You didn't," she admonished with an impish smile. "That's just adding fuel to the fire and Isobel's already a nervous wreck about it!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they've been living in a bit of a dream world, haven't they, and it's all about to come crashing down around them," she said staring into the bottom of her wineglass.

"I still don't think I understand," he looked at her with a frown wrinkling his brow.

"Do you remember when we first became a couple?" she asked with a faraway look in her eye. "You had arranged for those three days off together and reserved us a room in that small inn."

"I remember," he said with a sly grin as he gently rubbed his knee up and down the outside of her calf.

She smiled down at him affectionately, "Yes…it was wonderful, _you_…were wonderful! But what I remember most was that we lived for three whole days in our own little world. We could look at each other, touch each other, making love whenever we chose to…"

"Which was as often as possible, if memory serves me," he said still grinning.

"Your memory does not fail you on those terms, old man," she said softly, "but then we came home to Downton."

"Where we made time to be together, found opportunities to be alone, just as Richard is planning to do for Isobel," he said confidently but was disappointed when he looked up and saw the sad smile on her face. "I tried my hardest to work the schedules and find places where we weren't likely to be interrupted, like the attic…" he trailed off as he saw her sadness deepen and a small tear made its way down the side of her nose.

A faint smile ghosted across her face, "I remember the attic. I remember that you kept disappearing at odd hours for an entire week before you let me in on your secret…and you were so proud of what you'd accomplished."

"I thought it was rather ingenious to use the stacks of boxes to make us a little room. And it was quite fortuitous that there was an empty wardrobe in that corner as well. I wonder if that spare uniform is still hanging in there." The smile that started to spread over his face faded quickly. "Elsie?"

"Don't you see?" she reached out and brushed his cheek. "We were having an affair, planning our trysts, hiding and sneaking around under other people's noses."

"Oh, Elsie my love," he straightened in his chair and captured her hand in his. "You never said…was it really so awful?"

"It was for awhile," she said taking a deep breath.

"You know that I loved you…that I _love_ you" Charles was quick to say, longing to ease her pain. "It wasn't _just_ an affair to me either."

She leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Knowing that was what got me over the worst of it. And the times we _were_ able to spend in the attic helped me get past the rest of it." She gave him a playful smile.

"You know that Richard loves Isobel too," he said relaxing back into his chair for the moment. "If he had his way, he would run through the streets of the village proclaiming his love for her."

"Would he now?" she raised a skeptical eyebrow, taking a sip of her wine.

"I believe he would…if he could work up the courage," Charles said with a small snort. "For a man who commands the respect of this entire village as their resident doctor, I've never seen him more at a loss than in his feelings for Isobel."

Elsie laughed, "I see the same in Isobel. She's like a schoolgirl who constantly needs reassurance that she's making the right decisions. I can't decide if I'm the parent, the best friend or the fairy godmother!"

"We may have to be all three eventually but whatever the case, I'm sure they will work it out, just as we did," he said sitting up and placing his glass to the side. "Now explain to me the scene at the bottom of the stairs this morning."

He gently prodded her knees apart so that he could scoot his chair closer. Her position on his desk allowed him to slip his arms around her waist and cuddle at her neck while still seated comfortably in his chair. She set her wineglass next to his and gently ran her fingers through the hair behind his left ear. She trailed her fingers back along his jawline until she could feel his pulse just where Isobel said that she would. She then brought one of her slippered feet to rest in his lap rubbing gently against his groin.

"So it's true," she exclaimed as he let out a low moan.

"What's true?" he asked as he started to undo the buttons on the front her dress.

"I can feel your pulse get faster when you get excited," she said leaning down to kiss him while trying to maintain the pressure of her fingertips under his jawline. He pulled back slightly with a puzzled expression on his face. She reached down to caress his cheek as she told him the story of what happened when William suddenly came out of the coma.

"Isobel kept checking my pulse on my wrist and when I asked why, she explained that your heartbeats would get faster when you were excited and that a racing pulse could be a sign that you were overly excited and might faint as I did."

Charles took hold of her wrist and turned it so that he could kiss the skin on the inside and suck on it gently. "Are you_ excited_ now?" he asked seductively, looking up at her expectantly.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" she smiled down at him from her perch on his desk. She laughed softly as he looked down at her wrist in his hand trying to figure out exactly how to accomplish the task.

"I saw one of the nurses taking a patient's pulse under the jaw and Isobel explained that there are several places on the body where you could take a person's pulse," she replied.

"Just now, your fingers…could I check yours by pressing under your chin?" he asked hesitantly.

"Mm-hm, just here," she said softly, taking hold of his hand and placing his fingers in the hollow of her jawline. He could feel her pulse as she leaned towards him so that he could nibble the other side of her neck. She whimpered in disappointment when he pulled away but she couldn't help smiling at the look of wonder on his face as he continued to feel her pulse.

"She said that there was also a spot on the top of the foot near the ankle joint," said Elsie playfully rubbing the inside of his thigh with her foot.

"I think I've felt that one before," said Charles with some excitement. He took hold of her foot with both hands as if he were going to massage it and his fingers landed directly on her pulse point, "There!" He then allowed the back of his other hand to drift up her thigh until she giggled.

"That tickles," she said in response to his raised eyebrow.

He let go of her foot and stood so that he towered over her. He slid his arms around her shoulders and leaned her back to lie flat against his desk. He buried his nose behind her left ear as his hands finished working the buttons on the front of her dress.

"It has been awhile, Elsie my love," he whispered seductively in her ear while his hands caressed her breasts, "but I remember that making love on my desk used to _excite_ my Scottish housekeeper."

"I seem to have a vague recollection..." she trailed off with a soft moan as Charles slid a hand under her skirt and began to remind her of all the ways he had of _exciting_ her.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I am working to keep the main body of this story in the T-rated zone…but I have developed a story in the M-rated section to house the more detailed versions of the love scenes. Please search for 'A Father's Heart Supplemental Chapters' if you wish to add a bit of 'zest' to your reading! ;-)**_

_**As always, Reviews are much appreciated. THANKS!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to 'Lavender and Hay'...who is likely sitting at '1400HundredHours' house in her own little 'Isobel/Richard Shipping Zone' waiting for this to publish! :-)**_

_**Glad to hear that ya'll are still enjoying the story…**__**So, we had a little Charles and Elsie backstory these last couple of chapters, now we'll get a little Richard and Isobel backstory. Hope you like it!**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own them, still enjoy them, will return them not later than March 2012 so they can begin recording Series 3. ;-)**_

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><p>There weren't many patients staying in the hospital this week and preparations for the transfer of the wounded soldiers had been efficiently dealt with by Lady Violet with the assistance of her granddaughter. Lady Sybil had recently shown an interest in nursing and contributing to the war effort and had proved to be extremely organized and efficient in her oversight of the various projects about the hospital.<p>

Upon their arrival, Richard escorted Isobel to his office. As was their usual pattern, he took a seat behind his desk and she sat across from him. They each chose one from the stack of five patient files sat neatly on the corner of his desk. They silently read through the daily notations and then traded files and continued to read in silence.

"I'll leave you to check on Mrs. Hadley and her new baby," he said as he reached for another file.

"Alright," she replied, pleased that he had such confidence in her abilities. "I'll assist you with changing Mr. Pyke's dressings."

"Mm-hm," replied Richard absentmindedly as he read through the next file. After trading files again, they read in silence before Richard spoke.

"I'll need your help with little Toby Miner," he said placing the file to the side. "Nasty things, fox bites. You'll need to distract him while I drain and clean the wound."

She nodded her head in agreement and said, "What about Miss Brigham?"

"She's doing well and her vital signs are good," he said with a smile. "If she's asleep, we'll just let her be."

They both reached out for the last file at the same time. Richard closed his hand around hers as their fingers brushed against each other. He leaned down to kiss the palm of her hand and slid the file out from under and held it up in triumph. "Got it!" he said teasing her. She smiled at him affectionately as she sat back in her chair, allowing him his little moment of celebration. His face fell quickly as he scanned the file.

"What is it?" she asked sitting forward and reaching across the desk.

"It's Mr. Bricker," he said with a deep sigh. "They've had to bring him back in. I'm afraid that he's not going to last much longer. I wish that his family would stop checking him out of the hospital."

"But they seem so enthusiastic about having him home," she said with a puzzled look on her face.

Richard gave a deep sigh, "The problem is that as soon as he's home, he starts drinking and it's not long before he's back here again. One of these days, his liver just isn't going to be able to recover."

"Will you need my help?" she asked quietly as he looked down at the desk.

"Not likely. He's just checked in so all we can do is let the toxins run through his system and see if he survives." She'd never heard him sound so disconsolate regarding a patient before. She walked around his desk and stood beside him as she leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

"You check on Mr. Bricker…I'll check on mother and son…and I'll meet you at Mr. Pyke's dressing," she said with a soft smile. "Toby's likely to make the most fuss so let's leave him for last, shall we?"

-o O o-

It hadn't taken long to finish at the hospital. Richard always marveled at how well they worked together, it was if she were an extension of himself, as if he had control of four hands instead two. They stepped out into the light of a full moon as they walked across the alleyway from the hospital to the cottage provided for the resident doctor. They were conscious of the fact that they could be seen by anyone glancing out one of the windows on that side of the hospital so they were sure to keep several feet of distance between them.

He opened the front door of the cottage and ushered her in as he reached beside the door to switch on the electric lights. Isobel turned to look at what was once a patient waiting area. There was a desk to one side of the room with a row of chairs against the wall of the staircase leading up to the second floor. She walked over to a door at the foot of the stairs and looked at him for permission to open it.

"Examination room," he said perfunctorily as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. He reached behind her and switched on the lights. Judging by the layer of dust on the examination table and the lack of supplies behind the glass doors of the supply cabinet, this room had seen very little use in recent years. She turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"It was hard to keep a good nurse in residence and even with the hospital nurses on a rota, it just became easier to see patients over at my office in the hospital," he said with a guilty grimace. He realized that there was still a lot that they needed to learn about each other but he knew her well enough by now that he could see the wheels beginning to turn in her mind.

"Your focus, young lady," he said taking her firmly by the hand and leading her out of the room, "is Matthew's recovery. So you can put those thoughts about reorganizing my practice right out of your mind." She laughed in surprise that he could guess at what she'd been thinking about.

"It _is_ something to consider, Richard," she said shyly as she gripped his hand and followed him out of the door.

"Perhaps," he said as he switched off the lights and turned towards a door at the back of the waiting room. "With the wounded soldiers arriving tomorrow and more to be considered in the future, I think the work at the hospital will be more than enough to keep us all busy." He switched on the light in the kitchen and pushed her towards the door as he turned to walk back and pick up the picnic hamper he had set by the front door.

Isobel observed that the kitchen was more of a living space. There was a stove, coldbox and sink at one end of the room with cabinets hung on the wall where she supposed his dishes were kept. A table with four chairs sat in the middle of the room and at the far end was a small fireplace with one armchair and an ottoman turned diagonally to face the fireplace. She noticed a clock atop the mantle along with a humidor and several carved pipes.

Richard knelt to start a fire in the fireplace and when he stood, he took her coat and hung it on a hook on the back of the kitchen door. That was when she noticed that there was a narrow entrance to the staircase leading up from the kitchen. When he turned and walked back over to her, Isobel shivered in the chill air and put her arms out for him to hold her. He wrapped her up in his arms and held her close as he rubbed her back.

"I've gotten used to the fact that this room takes so long to warm up," he chuckled and kissed the top of her shoulder. "Here, I think I've got just the thing!" He stepped over to the armchair, reached across to the other side and pulled out a dark gray cardigan. He helped her on with it and then pulled her back into his arms. The jumper was old and worn but as Isobel buried her nose in the heavy shawl collar, all she could think about was how it smelled like _him_.

He pulled back a little so that he could look at her face, "I'm starving, how about you?"

"What did you ask Mrs. Bird to fix for you?" she said with a smile, not really wanting to leave the comfort of his arms.

"I told her that I wasn't sure how long we would be at the hospital and that I would leave it in her capable hands to decide what was best," he said shrugging his shoulders.

"In that case," said Isobel pulling out of his embrace, "why don't you light the stove and put the kettle on while I unpack the hamper."

He gently drew her back to his chest and looked into her face, she smiled in amusement at his look of concentration. His lips quirked in acknowledgement as he slowly brought his head down and covered her lips in a soft kiss. He could feel the tension in her body as he held her in his arms but his heart soared as she responded by gently nibbling on his lower lip. After his conversation with Charles this afternoon, he had been a little afraid that she might regret her decision so he had decided that although he would take the lead this evening, his approach would be slow and deferential to give her the time and opportunity to withdraw if she so desired. If he was learning his 'language of Isobel' correctly, she was nervous but not likely to withdraw…for the moment.

"Looks like it's the left over roast beef from last night," said Isobel as she lifted several covered plates out of the hamper.

"That roast was wonderful!" Richard said enthusiastically, "There's no chance she packed the plum pudding is there?"

"Maybe you should be courting Mrs. Bird," she said turning a quizzical eyebrow on him.

"Sorry, love," he said lighting the gas lamps around the room. "Except for the occasional dinner invitation to the Abbey or sharing a meal with Charles and Elsie, most of my dining has been at the hospital of late so I appreciate good cooking when it comes my way."

Blushing slightly at his use of the endearment, Isobel continued to unpack the hamper pulling out cheese and fruit along with a bottle of wine. "I'm surprised that you don't have someone in to do the cooking and the housecleaning."

"I used to," he said as he walked over and added another log to the fire. "But by the time that Mrs. Gilmore decided to retire, I was spending most of my time at the hospital and I decided not to replace her. I do what little needs to be done for myself and…until now…it's been enough."

She heard the hesitation in his voice and decided to steer the conversation in a slightly different direction. "Is that _old_ Mrs. Gilmore out at Larkspur Cottage?" she asked. He nodded in the affirmative as she continued, "That explains it."

"Explains what?" he asked.

"Why you block out the entire morning or afternoon when you have an appointment to go out to see her."

"You've been checking my calendar?" he asked with a surprised look on his face.

"I'm sorry," Isobel said looking remorseful, "I always find it open on your desk, I didn't think that it would bother you so to take a peek."

"It doesn't really," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm just surprised…all you have to do is ask."

"I know that, Richard," she said coming over and laying a hand on his arm. "Most of the time, I'm checking to see when you'll be leaving or returning from your housecalls." She turned him to face her and slipped her arms around his waist so that she could snuggle up to his chest. She looked up at him with a sly smile on her face as she said, "But lately, it's been to look ahead and see when you'd be going over to play cribbage with Charles and Joseph."

"I always tell you when I'm going over there," he said with a puzzled look on his face.

"And now, that's plenty of notice," she said toying with one of the brass buttons on his uniform jacket, "but in the beginning…."

"In the beginning what?" he chuckled trying to keep a stern look on his face.

"I needed to let Elsie know as early as possible so that she could try and arrange to have the same afternoons off as Charles. Otherwise, there was no reason for me to…_drop by_ the cottage when you were there."

"So you and Elsie were using my calendar to do your scheming, were you?" He smiled as she kissed him on the corner of his mouth. "And were you in cahoots with Mrs. Gilmore as well?"

"What do you mean?" she asked as she turned back to the table to finish laying out their dinner.

"It wasn't long after I started taking you out to the Abbey with me that Mrs. Gilmore began pestering me about that 'pretty Nurse Crawley' and that I should think about asking you to dinner."

"Which you can report back that you have finally done," she said spreading her hands with a flourish indicating the dinner that was now laid out on the table. If you'll just point me to the dishes."

"Dishes coming right up!" exclaimed Richard as he turned to the cupboards on the wall.

"I think you're in luck," Isobel said as she flipped back the cloth cover on a deep baking dish, "plum pudding!" They laughed together as Richard brought plates and two wineglasses over and set them on the table.

The rest of the meal passed in easy conversation about patients and neighbors in the village and the upcoming transfer of wounded soldiers. They also found that they worked together as well in the kitchen as they did at the hospital and it didn't take long before all the food was packed into the coldbox and the dishes were washed and dried and placed back in the cupboards.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: Reviews are good things…they let us know if it's working or where the weak spots are…thanks in advance for your review! :o)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: So…the dishes ARE put away and the leftovers are in the coldbox…now what? ;-) **_

_**Disclaimer: They belong to Mr. Fellowes and will be on ITV again by the end of the year…we hope…in the meantime, we'll keep them here in our little AU and keep them well fed and exercised!**_

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><p>"Shall I put the kettle back on?" Richard asked as the room suddenly became quiet and tense.<p>

"No, I think I'd just like to finish my wine, thank you," Isobel said turning to face the fireplace.

The dinner had gone well but it was over and now was the time that they would sink or swim. He had gone over and switched off the electric lights and when he turned back to look at her, he was simply overwhelmed. She stood in profile lit by the soft glow of the fireplace and the oil lamps on the walls and he felt the same way he did that night when they first learned that Matthew would be coming home. He wanted to take her in his arms and make love to her all night long but he wasn't about to do anything that would cause her to push him away again.

He stepped up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. His right hand came to rest on her lower abdomen as she leaned back against his shoulder and nestled her head against the side of his neck. They stood in silence for several long moments as he softly rubbed one of the tendons on her neck with this left thumb.

"I guess I'm going to have to get a settee in here," he said breaking the silence with a glance around the room.

Without moving from his arms she looked from one side of the room to the other and replied, "I don't think a settee will fit in here."

"We'll have to get rid of the armchair then," he replied with a disappointed sigh.

"Oh Richard, you couldn't," she exclaimed, "That's _your_ armchair…and it looks like it's well loved, we'll just have to get another armchair and ottoman."

He kissed her on the temple and tightened his embrace asking, "That's very kind of you but how can we snuggle in front of the fireplace without a settee?"

"I thought that was the definition of snuggle," she said seductively as she turned in his arms and nipped at his left earlobe. "Two people fitting in a space built for one."

He turned his head and kissed her ardently as he slowly backed her towards the ottoman. He nudged her down and then turned and walked over to the corner where she saw he kept a bootjack and coat rack to hang his uniform on.

"I forgot how cold these flagstones are," he said as he hopped quickly back over to the fireplace. He sat down in the armchair and pulled the ottoman close between his knees and urged her to scoot back to sit half on the chair and half on the ottoman so that she could lean back against his chest.

"Why don't you kick your shoes off?" he said softly in her ear loosening his embrace so she could reach down and undo the clasps before toeing them off the edge of the ottoman. She started to lean back and noticed that he was reaching over the far side of the armchair. When she peeked around his shoulder she could see that he kept a wooden box on the floor beside the chair with a pillow and a couple of woolen blankets. He pulled out one of the blankets and reached around her with both arms to spread it across her legs and feet.

"Mmm, nice and toasty," she murmured as he kissed the side of her neck.

"And you can keep me nice and toasty," he whispered in her ear as he settled her back against his chest and tightened his arms around her.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder and her gaze came to rest on the mantle above the fireplace. "I didn't know you smoked a pipe," she said.

"Every once in awhile during the winter months," he replied following her gaze up to the humidor that held his tobacco. "There's something soothing about sitting in front of the fire and smoking a bowlful of tobacco while I review the latest medical journals. Will it bother you?"

"No, my father smoked a pipe and if I remember correctly, it was when he would be reading the medical journals as well," she said with a smile. "Your pipes look very different from his though." He nudged her to lean forward as he climbed out from behind her so that he could reach the pipes.

When he returned, he knelt beside the armchair and placed the largest of the three pipes in her hands. She was surprised at how light it felt. The bowl was carved as a figurehead of a topless mermaid on the prow of a ship and looked as though it should have weighed several pounds.

"They are all meerschaum pipes. That one belonged to my grandfather. This one," he said holding up the second largest of the three which was carved in the shape of a lion's head, "belonged to my father. And this one is mine." She reached out and touched the surface of his pipe which was a simple egg-shaped bowl with a dimpled pattern carved around the sides.

"Is meerschaum the type of carving?" she asked turning his grandfather's pipe to study the intricate markings of the mermaid's scales.

"No, it's the material that the pipes are made of. Meerschaum is the German name for a mineral that is found mostly in Turkey or the lands of the Ottoman Empire. It is a very soft stone so it is very easy to carve and as you can tell, it is also light-weight allowing for very large and intricate carvings."

"Were they gifts or did you each pick out your own?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We each purchased our own," he replied looking at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"I'm just trying to reconcile the man who lovingly caressed this mermaid and the man who saw himself as a protector or head of the pride with the man who owns this simple but elegant creation."

"That just about sums it up," he said a bit surprised at her astute observations. "My grandfather was a seaman and he loved his women, his whisky and his pipe. My grandmother decided that she wasn't going to allow my father to follow in his footsteps so she worked herself to death so that he could go to medical school."

Isobel reached out and covered the hand holding his father's pipe with hers, "I'm sorry to hear that about your grandmother."

"It's alright," he said softly, looking down at their hands, "it was what was done at the time. Because of her sacrifice, my father had a profession that brought him a good life and now I have followed in his footsteps."

"And the lion's head?" she asked.

"He saw himself as the protector of the weak and afflicted," replied Richard with a deep sigh. "He was a brilliant surgeon but his ego always got in the way of his brilliance. He could have done…_been_…so much more but he would only work on the aristocracy. He said it was the only way to solicit funding for the hospital but because he spent so much time courting the upper classes, many of the lower classes were deprived of his brilliance and truly suffered for it."

She reached out and caressed his cheek and he leaned into her touch.

"He never understood why I would _settle_, as he called it, for general medicine," Richard said as he gathered the three pipes into his hands. "He never understood that in order to protect the weak and afflicted, I had to go where people truly needed me. Hence I became a village doctor. A simple man with simple tastes," he said turning his own pipe over in his hand.

It truly broke her heart to hear that he did not get along with his father and she didn't like to see him so downhearted. Looking at the pipes she tried to shift the conversation.

"Why the difference in colors?" she asked as she reached out to touch his pipe and left her hand resting on his wrist.

"Meerschaum is almost pristine white when it is first carved," he began, eager to change the topic of conversation himself. "It changes color the more it is used. The mineral is very porous and absorbs a lot of the residues from the tobacco so the more a pipe is smoked, the darker the colors become."

"Perhaps you'll have a reason to spend more time at home now," she began as she looked deeply into his eyes, "and we can see if your pipe begins to change color."

"I think I'd like that," he said with a small hitch in his voice, "I'd like that very much." He leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips.

He stood to place the pipes back up on the mantle and when he turned around, she was right in front of him and she put her arms around his neck and stepped up onto the tops of his feet.

"Sorry," she said quickly with a rueful smile on her face, "those flag-stones _are_ cold, especially without any woolly socks on." He laughed and pulled her closer.

"Let's see if we can't get you over to the stairs!" He slowly shuffled over the few steps across the flagstones in the kitchen so that he could deposit her on the bottom step. "There, that should be warmer for you."

"I kind of liked being that close to you," she smiled sweetly down at him.

"Then make room on that step," he said as he slipped his arms around her waist and stepped up beside her. He pulled her close and kissed her again putting all the passion and desire that he felt for her into the kiss. She responded with equal measure and soon they were both feeling a bit light-headed and out of breath. He pulled away and took her hand to lead her up the stairs.

"Richard," she said as she tugged on his hand to stop him. "I'll need my case from your car."

"Your case?" he looked at her quizzically, "I didn't put your case in my car."

"Elsie had Charles do it just before lunch," she said looking down at her hands.

"You packed a case to come over here?" he asked with an excited note in his voice.

"Well, I won't have time to go back over to Crawley House before Matthew arrives tomorrow so I had to pack at least a few things so that I could be ready for the morning." She watched the excitement fade from his face as his head drooped and he walked over to pull on his boots and his jacket.

"Should I wait for you here?" she asked innocently watching as he walked out into the waiting room heading for the front door.

"No, you can go on up," he said dejectedly still walking away from her. "My room is on the right, the spare room is on the left and the bathroom is at the end of the hall." She heard the door click as he went out into the night. She smiled to herself as she turned and walked up the stairs.

The two bedroom doors were identical and directly across from each other. She opened the door to the spare room first. It was painted with the same sage green that they had picked out for the renovated sunroom. There was a simple quilt on the single bed at one end of the room and there was a roll top desk under the window at the other end. The adjacent wall was covered from floor to ceiling with bookshelves. She stepped closer to see what types of books the good doctor was interested in. It was much the same as what she and Matthew had at Crawley House, a few contemporary works of fiction along with the classics but instead of the rest being legal references and journals, here they were all medical texts.

She crossed the hall to his bedroom and took a deep breath before she opened the door and walked inside. This room was much more masculine. There was dark wood wainscoting around the room with cream colored wallpaper above. The wallpaper boasted a chocolate brown stripe with small fleur de lis. A dark brown blanket covered the bed and there was a walnut hope chest at the foot of the bed where she guessed he stored the extra blankets and pillows. A wardrobe and chest of drawers occupied the wall across from the bay window that overlooked the gardens that the cottage shared with the hospital.

She heard Richard's steps on the staircase and took a seat on the chest at the foot of the bed. When he entered the room he walked over and set her case down on the chest beside her. He had recovered but she still thought that he looked a bit like a little boy who'd lost his favorite toy. He walked over to the wardrobe and removed several hangers and set them on the bed beside her case and then turned to set a fire in the fireplace. She thought to put him out of his misery but decided to tease him just a bit as she turned to begin unpacking her case.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I know ya'll are excited for the next bit of fluff but there's so little about Richard's backstory that I just couldn't resist the urge to write some for him. I hope that ya'll liked it...and I promise that ya'll will REALLY love the next chapter…and its supplement! **_

_**Reviews are more than welcome and are highly encouraged! :o)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: All right – enough backstory and on to the exciting stuff…such as boxes and bows! Hope ya'll enjoy it!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this chapter and I receive no monetary gain from writing this story…just the enjoyment of writing and the ego boost from all the wonderful reviews!**_

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><p>Isobel opened the case to begin unpacking and discovered the box addressed to Richard. She wondered what it could possibly be as she lifted it out of the case but as soon as she saw the bright blue bow from Mrs. Whipple's she thought she had an idea and decided to hide the box behind her case until she could decide what to do with it. She started to remove her clothing from the case and was shaking out one of her skirts when Richard turned back from the fireplace.<p>

She looked over at him with a teasing smile and said, "I'm going to need more than that."

"More than what?" he said sitting down on the hope chest with a deep sigh.

"More hangers," she replied turning towards the wardrobe, "I have two skirts and four blouses to hang in here."

"You brought two skirts and four blouses for tomorrow?" he asked with a skeptical look on his face.

"No! You silly goose," she laughed, beginning to enjoy teasing him now. "You told me I could leave some of my things here…if I wanted to…and I want to…if you still want me too..." Her voice got softer as it trail off uncertainly.

Richard jumped up and was beside her in a flash, "Of course I still want you to." He reached around her to open the other side of the wardrobe and almost knocked her over in his haste. "I think there may be a few more hangers over here. Will this be enough?" he asked emerging from the wardrobe with a half dozen more.

"That will more than enough," she said laughing at his sudden change in attitude. "You can hand me those other blouses there." Richard returned to his seat on the chest and carefully shook out each garment before handing it to her to hang in the wardrobe.

When she reached in and started taking out her underclothes and stockings he said, "The top drawer in the dresser is empty. You can use the second drawer as well if you need it."

"One drawer will be plenty for the moment," she said with a smile. "Would you hand me my brush and comb set from the case?" He reached in and pulled out a matched set in silver with a rose pattern.

"These are beautiful, Isobel," he said admiring the pattern before handing them over to her. "But won't you need to take them home with you?"

"These were my mother's," she replied a bit wistfully, "I have a set at home that Matthew gave me for my birthday a few years ago." She turned and set them on the dresser next to the wooden tray where Richard likely left his watch and chain when he went to bed at night.

Richard stepped over to close her case and set it by the door when noticed the white box bearing a note with his name on it.

"What is this?" he asked lifting the box from behind the case.

"I don't know," she said innocently as she reached to take it from him.

"It's addressed to me," he laughed and held the box out of her reach.

She sat down abruptly on the chest and stared down at her stockinged feet.

"You _do_ know what it is!" he exclaimed walking around the end of the bed to sit behind her. He leaned over and placed his chin on shoulder and waited expectantly.

"I _think_ I know what it is," she said blushing, "I suspect you'll find it is from Elsie. I gave a similar gift to Charles when we returned from London. Perhaps you should just read the note."

"Alright," he said as he opened the note and began to read aloud, "Dear Richard, this is a gift that I found in London for you and Isobel to enjoy. You must give the box to Isobel without opening it or seeing what is inside of it until she is ready for you to see it. If she displays any reluctance at receiving or showing you the gift you may remind her…turn about is fair play! Love, Elsie and Charles." Richard rose from the bed and walked around to stand in front her.

"Elsie said that I am to give the box to you," he said solemnly holding out it to her. He couldn't read the expression on her face and when she stayed silent he said, "You don't have to open this you know."

"I know, but Elsie will skin me alive if I don't," she said with a wry smile. She laughed at the puzzled look on his face. "It's nothing horrible, I promise. As a matter of fact, you will probably enjoy it…very much."

"Alright, I have to bank the fire downstairs. I'll wait down there until you're ready?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She just nodded her head in agreement and watched him walk out the door.

She slowly untied the ribbon on the box and lifted the lid to peer inside. What she found almost took her breath away. It was indeed a negligee made of satin and lace. The high-necked sleeveless bodice was made completely of lace and ended in a deep 'v' in the both the front and the back of the gown. The attached skirt was made of the softest satin the color of sun-ripened apricots. Down the back of the gown was a row of tiny buttons that went from the back of the neck all the way to the bottom of the lace which she was fairly certain would end somewhere over the curve of her bottom.

Elsie was right, turn about was fair play so she took a deep breath and started to undress. She hung her things in the wardrobe and finally stepped into the gown and pulled it up over her shoulders. She started on the buttons at the top of the gown and then fastened as many as she could from the bottom of the row but she soon realized that there were a fair many of them that she would not be able to reach down the middle of her back. It didn't take her long to figure out that without a lady's maid in attendance, Richard would be the only one who could help her with them but how could she keep him from seeing what the gift was before she was ready? Looking around the room her eyes finally landed on her dressing gown which she quickly donned backward so that it opened down the back.

"Richard," she called down the stairs after stepping out into the hallway.

"Yes, dear," he replied.

"I could use a bit of help with the gift," she said shyly. She quickly turned and stepped back into the bedroom when she heard him bounding up the steps.

"How can I help?" he asked breathlessly when he appeared in the doorway mere seconds later. He looked askance at her standing there with her dressing gown on backwards. She realized that he had worked out what she was wearing by the satin material that hung down to the floor beneath the robe.

"Yes, it's a negligee," she said in a tone that brooked no response. "There was a beautiful blue silk one hanging in the dress shop in London that would have looked wonderful on Elsie but she wouldn't buy it for herself…so I bought it and gave it to Charles as an anniversary present with the same instructions that Elsie gave you."

"Hence, 'turn about is fair play'," he responded as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place for him.

"Unfortunately, I can't reach all the buttons on this one and you're going to have to help me," she said turning her back to him. She could feel the warmth of his body as he stepped close behind her.

"You know that as _the man_, it is my job to get you _out_ of something like this," he chuckled as he reached for the first of the buttons, "not to fasten you in to it." She felt his breath through the lace of the bodice before she felt his lips kiss the top of her shoulder. He allowed his thumb to trace a small circle on her bare skin before he reached for the next button. It took all of her concentration to respond to his words.

"I thought about that and almost decided that we didn't need to go through with it," she shuddered as she felt him kiss the small of her back and run his tongue down to where her spine curved into her bottom. When her thoughts were her own again she said, "I didn't want to risk the ire of the Scottish dragon either, should Elsie find out."

"That's the last button," he said straightening up behind her and pulling her lightly back against his chest. "There's just one more thing I would like before I get to see my gift."

He reached up and began to remove the pins from her hair. When it was lying loose on her shoulders he turned her to face him and lifted her chin so he could look in her eyes. He saw the uncertainty and walked her over to stand in front of the mirror that hung on the wardrobe.

"We'll see it together," he said softly in her ear as he stepped up close behind her. He slid his hands under the dressing gown from behind her shoulders and pushed it down her arms and off to the floor. It was beautiful…_she_ was beautiful!

She shivered in delight as he slowly traced his hands up her bare arms to unfasten the first few buttons on the high collar so that he could turn it down and nuzzle the side of her neck. She watched his eyes in the mirror as they took in each aspect of the negligee. She felt his hand trail down her stomach coming to rest with the now familiar pressure on the swell of her lower abdomen. She turned in his arms so that she could kiss him and found herself smiling in triumph as she felt his arousal pressing into her hip.

He bent his head to kiss her as his hands began to work the buttons on the back of the negligee and her hands started on the buttons of his shirt. He shuddered when she ran her hands up the front of his chest to remove his undershirt and dress shirt at the same time. When he got his arms back around her he discovered that several of the buttons were missing. He decided against saying anything at the moment and continued with his task. He popped several more of the buttons off when he felt her hands unfasten the front of his trousers and slide them down over his hips.

"Isobel, that's not fair," he said with a groan as he stepped out of his trousers and turned her to face away from him. "You keep distracting me and I'm afraid to say that I've already torn off several of your buttons." He bent down to get a closer look at his task and she just giggled as she tried to stand still. He finally managed to undo the rest of them but not before he had torn off at least a half dozen more.

"I'm sorry, my dear," he said as she turned to face him.

"That's what a needle and thread are for," she said reaching up to cup his cheek just before she leaned in to kiss him.

"Mmm…" he murmured pulling her hard against his chest and rubbing his hands up and down her bare back. He backed himself up towards the bed and sat down on the edge as he continued to hold her. He looked up at her as he reached up and pulled the lace bodice from her shoulders letting the gown pool slowly at her feet. His hands traced over her hips to squeeze her bottom just before he lay back on the bed pulling her on top of him.

"Richard!" she squealed as he rolled her over and nudged towards the center of the bed. He pushed himself up to cover her body with his as he gathered her in his arms for a deep kiss.

"You were right," he said bestowing small kisses down her neck. "I do like that gown, but I like it much better on the floor." Her laugh turned into a moan as he began to make love to her in earnest.

Later, they lay quietly in each other's arms, his hand rubbing small patterns on her back as she caressed his chest.

"Matthew will be here in a few hours," she whispered, not sure if he was still awake.

"I know, everything will be just fine," he said holding her closer. "Let's just take one day at a time…no promises and no expectations." She smiled at him as he bent down to kiss her forehead and snuggled into his embrace before they both drifted off to sleep.

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><p><em><strong>AN: There is a supplement to this chapter over in the M-rated section – it will be the second chapter of 'A Father's Heart Supplemental Chapters'. **_

_**As always, reviews are most welcome and highly encouraged – even anonymous ones! ;-)**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Everybody stretch and yawn…it is the morning after now…LOL! I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed the backstory and the love scenes in the past few chapters. Hopefully, we'll develop even more character for Richard before we're done with him in this story!**_

_**Disclaimer: Still not mine although I'm saving my nickels and dimes to see if maybe….just MAYBE…I could make them mine….oops! Time to pay the electric bill…guess buying the rights to Downton Abbey will have to wait! Until then, they belong to Julian Fellowes and can be watched on ITV. **_

Charles had been down in his pantry for almost an hour when Elsie came in with two mugs of tea.

"Sleeping Beauty awakes," he chuckled taking one of the mugs from her hand.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked frowning at him over the rim of her own mug.

"As busy as you've been these past few days," he began, "keeping things running here so that I could help Richard over at Crawley House. I thought you deserved a bit of a lie-in"

She had perched on the corner of his desk beside his chair and reached out to stroke his temple as she said, "Thank you, love, but I would have rather had you beside me in the bed." She trailed a finger around the outside of his ear and teased the skin just above his collar.

"Elsie," he said with an edge of warning in his voice.

"What's good for the gander isn't good for the goose anymore?" she questioned with raised eyebrows. Leaning back in his chair he looked up at her suspiciously. "So that's how it is then…it's alright for you to distract me in the mornings…" she trailed off, rubbing her foot on the inside of his lower leg.

Charles bolted upright in his chair as visions of their romantic encounter from yesterday morning ran through his mind. He reached over to take her mug and set them both on the small table against the wall.

"You didn't say and after last night," he waggled his eyebrows at her as he pulled her onto his lap. "Did you lock the pantry door when you came in?"

"Had my hands full of mugs…" she sighed as he kissed her neck and ran his hands up to her breasts. He was just about to reach below the hem of her skirt when someone knocked on the door.

"Mr. Carson, may we speak with you?" came the voice of Mr. Bates through the door.

Elsie stood up from his lap and moved around his desk picking up her mug of tea on the way by.

"Yes, come in Mr. Bates," said Charles with a disappointed sigh. Elsie sat in the chair opposite him and gave him a sly smirk. The door opened and Mr. Bates ushered Anna, Daisy, Miss O'Brien and Mrs. Patmore in ahead of him.

"We're sorry, Mr. Carson," said Anna as she stepped over to the desk, "We can come back later if this isn't a good time." She looked from him over to Elsie for approval before proceeding. Elsie just raised an eyebrow at Charles as she took a sip of tea from her mug.

"Now is as good a time as any," grumbled Charles.

"We would like permission to go and see William at the hospital," said Mr. Bates stepping up to the front of the group.

"All of you?" yelped Elsie, choking on her tea at the sudden thought of O'Brien sitting and reading to William in his sick bed.

"Not all at the same time, Mrs. Carson," said Mr. Bates with a wry smile.

"If his Lordship can spare you the time before you return to London, Mr. Bates," began Charles, "I see no reason why you should not go. Please notify me when you will be gone from the house so that I may have Tobias available should his Lordship require any assistance. The rest of you will have to coordinate with Mrs. Carson." He gave Elsie a smug look at having deftly tossed the ball back into her court. She gave him an evil glare over the top of her mug before rising and turning to the group.

"Alright you lot, let's go to my parlor and check the calendar then, shall we?" She led the way out the door and into the hallway.

Charles stepped quickly around the corner of his desk to detain Mr. Bates with a hand to his arm. He looked Mr. bates directly in the eye and said, "Mrs. Carson _**will**_ be the first to see William this afternoon."

"Not to worry, Mr. Carson," chuckled Mr. Bates, "everyone is well prepared to present tasks that will keep them busy and unable to go into the village until _tomorrow _afternoon."

"It's just that Mrs. Carson feels very close to the boy…" Charles trailed off trying to make amends for his gruff tone.

"No need to apologize either," replied Mr. Bates with a twinkle in his eye. "We've all had mothers and we know how they worry and fret until they can see for themselves."

A genuine smile came to Charles face, "Thank you, Mr. Bates." They could hear the sound of a bell from the board in the servants' dining room.

"That will be his Lordship," said Mr. Bates. Charles nodded and watched as he turned and walked out the door. Charles would never have believed it when Mr. Bates first arrived at Downton but he had become a real ally and an asset to the house.

-o O o-

Richard returned having shaved and dressed in the bathroom so as not to disturb Isobel. He stood in the doorway watching her sleep. She had snuggled over to his side of the bed and buried her face in his pillow. He was going to miss having her there beside him, being able to reach out and touch her in the middle of the night.

"Don't just stand there watching me sleep," she grumbled into the pillow, "come back to bed and keep me warm!"

He set his shaving kit on top of the dresser and reached into one of the lower drawers to retrieve an article of clothing before he stepped over to her side of the bed and sat down on the edge. He rubbed her back with long firm strokes until he thought he could hear her purring.

"Mmm…that feels good," she murmured as she turned onto her back to look at him. "You're not coming back to bed?" she asked, her eyes taking in the fact that he was in full uniform.

"I'm going over to make an early round at the hospital," he said brushing his knuckles against her cheek.

"If you'll wait a few minutes, I'll dress and go over with you," she said as she pulled back the covers and tried to climb out of the bed. She heard a quiet groan and looked to find his gaze locked onto her breasts as they swung and bounced with her energetic motions. He reached out and cupped one with his hand while he ran his thumb across the nipple. Her back arched reflexively and he could hear her sudden intake of breath just before he pulled her to him in a passionate kiss.

"Are you sure you won't come back to bed, my sweet," she whispered in his ear as he nipped at her collarbone.

"Ma belle, you will be the death of me," he groaned again as he pulled away and started to rise from the bed.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Isobel took hold of his hand as she swung her feet over the side of the bed. She slipped her dressing gown over her shoulders and turned to face him as she tightened the belt around her waist. "I'll just be a few minutes."

He drew her gently into his arms and kissed the end of her nose. "You can't go with me," he said firmly. She looked at him with a hurt expression. "We left the hospital together last night. It wouldn't do for us to arrive together, especially this early in the morning."

"I suppose," she pouted as she leaned over to lay her head on his shoulder. His arms tightened around her and he held her for a few long moments.

"I don't expect much could have gone wrong during the night so I should be back within the hour. No one would be the wiser if you were to drop by for a cup of tea and I were to offer you a bite of breakfast before Matthew arrives."

He felt her head nodding against his shoulder. She shivered in the cold and he reached down to pick up the item that he had taken from his dresser. He leaned back so that he could look at her.

"I'll start a fire on my way out but the flagstones are likely to be cold down there." A cheeky smile spread across his face when he held up a pair of his wooly socks. "I thought you might want these until you can get your shoes on." She took the socks from him with a wry smile as she stepped to the wardrobe and pulled out a skirt and blouse.

"I'll start breakfast if there's anything in the coldbox," she said pulling clean undergarments and stockings from his dresser.

He watched from the doorway as she moved around his bedroom as if she had lived there for years. That was one of the things he admired about her – she may have had doubts beforehand but once she made up her mind, she approached everything with confidence.

"I believe there are some eggs and a couple of rashers of bacon in the coldbox and there's a loaf of bread in the cupboard," he said as he turned to walk down the hallway. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

-o O o-

Charles heard Miss O'Brien and Daisy leave Mrs. Carson's parlor and he decided to wait another five minutes just to be certain that she would be alone. He tapped lightly on the parlor door and waited for her answering call. Instead, the door opened and out stepped Anna and Mr. Bates. Anna smiled up at him and Mr. Bates winked as they passed him on their way upstairs.

"Everything alright?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"Fine. They had pretty much worked out a schedule for themselves," she said with a puzzled frown.

"Tell me," he growled trying to hide his amusement.

"Nothing, really," replied Elsie shrugging her shoulders, "Just makes me wonder if they're up to something."

"Hmm," murmured Charles in agreement. "Could I see the schedule for this afternoon?" Without thinking, Elsie turned the calendar so that Charles could read her notes.

"What are you doing?" she asked when he started writing notes in the daily diary he used to keep his own tasks organized.

"Just making notes as to what needs to be accomplished this afternoon while you are away," he said with an exaggerated air of nonchalance.

"Pardon?" questioned Elsie with a blank look on her face.

Chares rose to his feet as he turned the calendar back towards her. "His Lordship has decreed that you shall be at the hospital this afternoon when Master Mason arrives," said Charles assuming the deep and formal tone of voice that he used on auspicious occasions.

"His Lordship _decreed_?" she snorted incredulously.

"Alright, I asked and his Lordship approved," chuckled Charles with a wry grin. Elsie stepped around her desk to stand in front of him. She slipped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

"Thank you," she murmured softly.

"You're welcome," he sighed, planting a kiss on the top of her head. She tipped her head back to look up at him and he lost himself in the warmth of her big brown eyes. The sounds of Mrs. Patmore yelling for Daisy came faintly through the door.

"Ignore them," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her. He nibbled on her lower lip and was starting to explore her mouth with his tongue when the crash of crockery hitting the floor came to them.

"I'd better go sort that out," groaned Elsie pulling away from him and turning towards the door.

"Richard says that they are due in at three o'clock this afternoon," he said holding her back by the hand. "Branson is expecting to pick you up at the back door at two-thirty."

"You are too good to me." Her smile turned to a grimace at the sounds of Mrs. Patmore yelling in the background.

"Off with you," he said releasing her hand as she walked out the door.

-o O o-

The fire was already warming up the kitchen when Isobel arrived downstairs, and he had put the kettle on the back burner to keep it hot for her. She made herself a cup of tea and went about setting the table and preparing to cook the bacon and eggs. Half an hour later she heard him come through the front door of the cottage.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," she called out hearing the kitchen door open behind her. Not receiving a response, she turned to find Richard standing in the doorway with an amused expression on his face.

"You are a sight to behold," he chuckled and walked over to kiss her on the forehead. She looked down and realized that she was still wearing his sweater and wooly socks. She turned back to the stove and dished up the eggs and bacon and handed two plates to him before reaching for the kettle to fill the teapot. She sat down next to him at the table and proceeded to butter a slice of toast as Richard started on his eggs.

"I could get used to this," he said between bites.

"So could I," she said quietly as she stared down at her plate and pushed her toast around with her finger. He reached over to squeeze her hand.

"Belle, our conversation upstairs started me thinking," he said rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "With the influx of patients that we are about to receive, it makes sense to do an early round of the in-patients so the nurses and therapists will have time to prepare for the out-patients." He scooted closer to the corner of the table to be near her and took her hand in both of his.

"You are the most beautiful and brilliant nurse I know," he said with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Richard," she warned as she rolled her eyes at him.

"I would love to have you by my side on early rounds," he chuckled as he leaned in to kiss the back of her hand. "Then we could come back here for breakfast and to work on the patient files." He glanced down at her hand and noticed a smudge of raspberry jam near the end of her finger. "Or we could engage in…_other activities_…." He raised her fingers to his lips and gently sucked the end of her finger into his mouth and swirled his tongue to remove the jam. He looked up to gage her reaction and saw her eyelids flutter closed as a slight shiver moved through her body.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the sound of the telephone ringing in the front room. Richard gave her a puzzled look as he let go of her hand and rose to walk into the other room. Isobel stood and started to clear away the dishes.

"Mr. Bricker is awake and raising Cain at the moment," he said when he returned to the kitchen.

"You go on then and I'll be over shortly," she said opening the tap to clean the dishes.

"Just leave those in the sink, Belle," I'll wash them tonight," he said setting the cups and saucers in the sink.

"Richard," she began as she turned and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I really enjoyed last night and I'm enjoying myself this morning. Let me be your help-mate when I can, please?"

He could see the truth in her eyes as he leaned and kissed her softly. "I would like that very much."

_**A/N2: I know you're out there reading because I can see the hits on my stats page. I would like to challenge all of you who may never have left a review for someone before to send me a note and let me know what you think of the story. I'm always interested in what people think of the details…is there something that you would like to see more of? Or something that you think we could use a whole lot less of. **_

_**You don't have to have an account to leave a review – you can send me an anonymous review and you get to fill in whatever name you want to make up for yourself. You can even use my favorite... 'A-Nonnie-Mouse'! Hope to hear from you! ;-) **_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Okay, so I have a thing about Isobel wearing Richard's things when she's at the cottage! I just think it's kind of cute...even though they're not exactly teenagers...especially while they're at this stage in their relationship. ;-) Now on to the next chapter….**_

_**Disclaimer: Again, they belong to Julian Fellowes and no copyright infringement is intended…just trying to create my own bridge to Series 3! **_

* * *

><p>Elsie arrived at the village hospital just as the first bus arrived with wounded soldiers from the hospital in London. When she entered the main ward, she found the room to be in utter chaos with nurses and therapists running to and fro setting up new beds and unpacking equipment. Dr. Clarkson was standing at the far end of the room directing the assembly of new hospital beds while Isobel stood over several nurses who were storing medical supplies. Elsie waved to catch her attention and Isobel motioned towards the hall where the offices were located. By the time Isobel arrived in the office that she shared with Dr. Richard Clarkson, Elsie had put the kettle on and was spooning tea into a teapot set up on the counter.<p>

"I should be doing that for you," said Isobel dropping into her desk chair with a heavy sigh.

"You looked like you had your hands full," snorted Elsie taking a seat in Richard's chair.

"They called just this morning to tell us that they were sending an additional ten patients," said Isobel as Elsie handed her a steaming cup of tea. "At least they sent extra beds and supplies along with the first busload of patients."

The office door opened and Richard walked in looking a bit dazed. Elsie rose from his chair and handed him her untouched cup of tea.

"Thank you," he said as he perched on the corner of Isobel's desk. Elsie poured herself another cup of tea and turned to lean back against the counter. She watched quietly as Richard rolled Isobel's chair back between his knees so that he could rub her neck and shoulders. In the short time that they had committed to their relationship, they had become a tender and loving couple. Elsie wondered how they would do when they could not openly show their genuine affection for one another.

Elsie thought back to those first weeks when she and Charles returned from their weekend away when they first became a twosome.

-o O o-

_They had arrived back at Downton just a day before the family was due to return from London. They could hardly find time to discuss the organization and tasks required to re-open the country house, let alone to have a romantic interlude. _

_They had gone from making love several times a day to 'not' making love for several days in a row and they were both becoming more than a bit frustrated. They'd had a few false starts when they thought there would be some quiet time in the household but someone would come knocking or the bells would start ringing on the board and they would be off and running again. _

_Elsie found that she was not only 'missing' the feel of Charles hands on her, she missed feeling the touch of his skin under her hands. She found it difficult not to reach out and run her fingers across his back or to take his hand as they walked down the hallway together. At first it was just the occasional brush or bumping arms as they passed in the hall, but when Miss O'Brien almost caught them kissing on the backstairs, the reality of keeping their affair hidden hit home. _

_She realized that she was sending the housemaids off on useless errands so that she could sneak up to the attic or telling half-truths to her Ladyship so that she could have half-days off with Charles. Then there was the afternoon that she overheard the housemaids talking around the table about the housekeeper at another estate who'd been having an affair with the Lord of the manor. They called her a tart and a fallen woman and Elsie wondered if that's what they would say if they knew about her and Charles. _

_She tried to convince herself that her affair was with the butler and that made everything alright. But it didn't, and she felt guilty and tawdry for quite awhile afterwards. The tension was beginning to have an effect on the time that she shared with Charles but he was patient and kind and most of all, he loved and cherished her and made certain that she felt his devotion every time they were together. It was the little things he did for her that finally broke down her reservations so that she could love him fully and with an open heart. _

-o O o-

A sharp rap at the door brought Elsie back to the present. A young ginger-haired nurse poked her head round the door as Richard stood and moved over to rearrange the patient files on his desk. They both need to work on looking less guilty thought Elsie with a smile.

"First load of officers have been checked in and are awaiting evaluations. Captain Crawley is with them."

Richard turned to Isobel as she jumped up from her chair. She started for the door as the nurse disappeared back into the ward and stopped suddenly to look back over her shoulder at him.

"Go on! Your son is waiting for you." He reached out and gave her a small push. She gave him a grateful smile and hurried out the door after the nurse.

Elsie put her hand on his arm and said, "She loves you very much."

"I know," replied Richard. He turned to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "And we both love you and Charles." Elsie gave him an affectionate squeeze when the sound of a nurse yelling down the hallway reached their ears.

"Dr. Clarkson, you're needed on the ward immediately!"

"And so the madness begins," laughed Richard holding the door open for her.

-o O o-

Richard and Elsie arrived on the ward to see Matthew Crawley using a pair of crutches to deftly maneuver his way around the other patients towards his mother who stood frozen in the archway watching him make his way towards her. She finally moved to meet him and her arms quickly gathered him into a ferocious hug as the tears started to fall.

"Matthew, my babyboy," she whispered in his ear.

"It's good to see you too, mother," he said balancing on one crutch as he tried to put his arm around her. Richard stepped over and took the loose crutch from him so that his arm was free to return her hug.

"I can see you first, if you'd like," offered Richard as he returned the crutch to the young man.

Matthew shook his head with a smile, "See to the others, it's been a long trip and I'd just as soon sit and visit with my mother if it's all the same."

"As you like," returned Richard who looked over at Isobel but he could see that she only had eyes for her son at the moment. "Nurse Richards," he called out as he strode across the ward. "I'll see the first patient in the examination room now."

Matthew looked over his mother's shoulder to find a chair and saw Elsie standing quietly behind her. "Mrs. Carson, it is good to see you!" Elsie walked over to join them.

"Mr. Crawley, you're looking well," she said with a smile.

"Please, call me Matthew," he said as Isobel led them over to some empty chairs against the wall.

Elsie frowned and looked at him from under a raised eyebrow, "One day it will be _your Lordship_."

"As my mother reminds me, that day is a long way off," he chuckled as he settled himself into a chair. "And as my mother's friend, you may call me by my given name. Besides, Mr. Crawley sounds so…stuffy."

Richard stepped out of the examination room and saw the three sitting together and laughing. His eyes were drawn to Isobel who looked truly at ease for the first time in many weeks. Her smile was radiant and he could see the light in her eyes from across the room. She glanced up and caught him gazing at her. He grinned and she smiled shyly in return before the nurse handed him the file for his next patient.

"Mother?" Matthew turned to see what she was staring at but all he could see was the examination room door closing. "Mother, you were a million miles away," he said when she finally turned to him.

"I'm sorry, darling," she said looking down at her lap to hide the faint blush that was spreading across her cheeks.

I hope she tells him soon thought Elsie to herself shaking her head. "Mr. Crawley…_Matthew_," she said when he raised his eyebrows at her and frowned, "you were doing well on those crutches."

"It's not quite the same as walking but I can get around fairly well indoors. I wouldn't want to walk the estate with them," he exclaimed with a grin.

"How is your therapy going, Matthew?" asked his mother.

"I still don't have much control over the foot or the knee but I've gained strength and flexibility in the hip…or so the therapists tell me," he said in a solemn tone. "It's still discouraging at times but I can manage to swing the leg forward from the hip and I have gained a bit of control to lift my toes so the foot doesn't drag so much."

"That's progress," said Isobel with a bright smile. Matthew grimaced slightly but squeezed his mother's hand in a gesture of comfort.

Nurse Richards appeared before them with a wheelchair and announced, "Dr. Clarkson will see you now, Captain Crawley." Matthew stood and started to place the crutches under his arms. "You've been up in the bus or on those crutches for the better part of a day and I think you should take a rest and let me push you around for a bit." Matthew started to protest but surprised his mother by acquiescing and sitting in the wheelchair. Nurse Richards had just turned him towards the examination room when he turned to look at Elsie over his shoulder.

"I think there's someone here to see you Mrs. Carson," he said with a grin.

Elsie followed his gaze and saw William shuffling through the main doors of the ward. He was still too thin and his eyes were a bit haunted but he was home and close enough that she could take care of him herself. William's eyes lit up and a grin slowly spread across his face as his eyes found Elsie's across the room. Isobel and Matthew watched as she strode purposefully across the ward like a mother bear on her way to protect her cub. She gathered William up in a hug which he returned with great abandon.

Richard stepped out of the examination room to see what was detaining his next patient and saw Elsie and William embracing. Nurse Richards was wheeling Matthew towards him while Isobel seemed torn between following them and staying to support her best friend.

"Mrs. Carson," Richard called out, "why don't you sit here." He gestured towards an empty bed near the examination room. "I shouldn't be too long with Captain Crawley and I'll see Private Mason directly after." He held out his hand towards Isobel and said, "Mrs. Crawley, if you'll come this way."

Isobel looked down at Matthew who responded, "Mother, why don't you wait out here with Mrs. Carson. I can catch you up when we get home tonight." Isobel nodded gratefully and sat beside Elsie on the bed as they waited for William's turn to be checked in.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Whew! The boys are home now…and it only took nine chapters to do it! LOL! I would like to say THANKS to all of those who continue to review…and I think I'm all caught up on my responses but just in case I'm not…I do read and appreciate each and every one! :D**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Okay…so I am a TERRIBLE TEASE! I told Hogwarts Duo that they could look forward to some 'family' action in Chapter 10…and it's not until Chapter 12! I hope you'll enjoy the in-between chapters in the meantime. There's a smidge of angst here and a bit of bromance in the next so as Shakespeare might have written if he was here in our little Downton AU… 'read on MacDuff!'**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing them from Mr. Fellowes and ITV as long as they are on hiatus! No copyright infringement intended.**_

Elsie walked through the back door to see Charles barreling down the servants' staircase and down the hall to his pantry. He noticed her standing in the doorway to the servants' dining room as he passed by on his way to the wine cellar.

"Lady Violet doesn't like the 1912 Lafite Rothschild this evening," he said breathlessly on his way by. Elsie nodded and walked to his pantry knowing he would return the key before going back upstairs. She had removed her hat and her gloves by the time he returned. He bustled in and set the wine bottle on the desk and hung the key to the cellar on the hook beside the door. He turned and gathered her in his arms and covered her mouth with an ardent kiss.

"Lady Violet and Lady Sybil both said it was a madhouse at the hospital this afternoon," he said quietly as he gazed down at her.

"It was hectic but I'll tell you all about it when you've finished with the family," she said removing herself from his arms. "You'd better get the wine up there before the old dragon comes down here breathing fire!"

"Hmph!" he exclaimed as he picked up the bottle and followed her out the pantry door. He watched the sway of her hips as she walked ahead of him and he looked around to make sure that the hall was empty before reaching out to swat her bottom as she stepped through her parlor door.

-o O o-

She had finished up her accounts and received a report from Anna on the afternoon's activities by the time Charles returned from his final rounds of locking up the house. He brought the abandoned bottle of the Rothschild with him and poured them both a glass.

"How is William?" he asked as he removed his coat, tie and collar."

"Too thin," said Elsie stepping up to undo the buttons on his waistcoat and shirt.

"Mrs. Patmore will take care of that." He smiled as he watched her undressing him and wondered when she was going to realize they were not in their bedroom. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and laid her head on his chest so that she could listen to the rhythmic beating of his heart beneath her cheek. Charles knew that listening to his heartbeat had a soothing effect on her but he wanted to know what was upsetting her in the first place.

"Tell me," he said quietly as he rubbed her back with gentle strokes.

"He just seems so…frail," she searched for the right word. With a sigh she pulled back from his embrace and picked his clothes up off the floor. He reached out and took them from her and hung them on the hook next to his coat. He then led her by the hand over to the settee where he settled her between his legs so that she could rest her head on his chest. She could feel the comforting rumble when began to speak.

"What did Richard have to say?" he asked quietly.

"Just that William has a bit of fluid on his lungs which is to be expected for as long as he was unconscious and lying in bed," she replied as she snuggled a bit closer in his arms. "Richard wants to keep him at the hospital for a few days to make sure his lungs are clear before sending him home."

"That's good news then," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "Isn't it?" he wondered aloud feeling the tension in her shoulders.

"I wonder how he will get along with Tobias."

"It will still be awhile before William is up to full steam," he said shifting her in his arms so that he could look down at her. "They will have a chance to get to know each other and likely become fast friends." She reached up to push a stray lock of his hair behind his ear and stroked the skin at the base of his neck absentmindedly. "They're both good lads who want to do a good job, I don't think there's a need to worry, besides, _Tobias_ mothers the young lads almost as much as you do."

"I do _not_ mother the lads," she pouted against his shoulder.

"Yes, you do, and they love you for it," he said smiling against her forehead, "and Tobias is just about as bad. He's taken Andy under his wing and is teaching him to be a footman and I have no doubt that he will work to ease William's transition back to the staff."

"I hope so," said Elsie with a satisfied sigh.

"And how is Captain Crawley?"

"Insisting we call him Matthew," she snorted and shifted so that she could sit up beside him. "He's actually doing quite well. You should have seen the way he was getting around on crutches."

"Crutches?" Charles asked with a puzzled look.

"It's a vast improvement over the condition he was in when we were in London," she replied. "He went home with Isobel tonight and he'll have daily physical therapy at the hospital in the mornings."

"Speaking of Isobel," interrupted Charles, "how did she and Richard do with Matthew there?"

Elsie giggled and looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye, "Not too badly although they need to work on looking less guilty when someone interrupts them. But you should have been there when I asked Isobel to come over on Wednesday afternoon." Charles just raised an inquiring eyebrow. "At first she wouldn't come over because of Matthew but when he finally convinced her that he could be left to his own devices for a few hours, Richard just about gave the game away!"

"He didn't," exclaimed Charles.

"He did! He reached out and put his hand on her waist and said 'we'll go over together' as if it were the most natural thing in the world."

"He never," said Charles.

"He did, I think it was because one of the nurses had given him a patient's file to read and he wasn't thinking about what he was doing. He turned five shades of red when Isobel poked him in the ribs and told him that she had Mr. Molesley to drive her over."

"Poor Richard," he clucked his tongue in sympathy.

"He began to trip all over himself to apologize for being so forward and explained that he had a standing meeting with you on Wednesday afternoons and that he would be more than happy for her to accompany him on the drive."

"And what did Matthew have to say?"

"I think he would have been fine with the arrangement had it not been for the fact that Isobel was beaming at Richard at the time," snickered Elsie.

"Do you think he suspects?"

"I don't know for sure but it wouldn't surprise me," she said laying her head back down on his shoulder with a yawn. Charles reached out and pulled the rug over them both.

"So is she coming over on Wednesday or not?" he asked stretching out beside her on the settee.

"I…I think so but Molesley will drop her by when he brings Matthew home from the hospital," she yawned again and her eyes slid shut as Charles reached over to turn out the lamp.

-o O o-

Molesley stopped the motorcar halfway up the drive near the side gate to the garden. Matthew looked at his mother as Molesley hopped out of the car and opened the gate for Mrs. Bird.

"There have been some changes to the house to accommodate a wheelchair," said Isobel. "The sunroom has been renovated so that you can remain on the ground floor for awhile." Matthew looked surprised but didn't ask any questions.

Molesley assisted Matthew out of the motorcar and into the wheelchair that Mrs. Bird had pushed out to the driveway. He was leaning down to adjust his left leg when he was engulfed by a large wool blanket. He looked up to find Mrs. Bird trying to tuck it in around the sides of the chair.

"Stop fussing…Everyone!" he said firmly. "It would appear that I only have to travel as far as the sunroom and I shan't freeze to death in that short a distance. Matthew motioned for everyone to move away as he skillfully maneuvered the wheelchair through the gate and up the new wooden ramps. He reached out and opened the French doors to let himself into the room. Isobel smiled at the astonished looks on the faces of Mr. Molesley and Mrs. Bird as they all followed in his wake.

"It really is quite lovely, Mother," said Matthew looking around the room.

"You have an ensuite through that door and they've modified the doorway to your office off the hall so that you can move freely," said Isobel taking a seat in the armchair near the fireplace. "Mrs. Bird, could you bring us some tea?"

"Yes, Ma'am," said Mrs. Bird as she headed for the kitchen.

"I'll move the motorcar and bring in your case, Sir," said Mr. Molesley with a small bow of his head. Matthew nodded in agreement and moved over to sit beside his mother as she prepared the tea.

"Who is this _they_ that accomplished all of this work?" asked Matthew picking up his cup and saucer.

"Mr. Carson, Mr. Laughton and Dr. Clarkson."

"Dr. Clarkson has building experience?" exclaimed Matthew in surprise.

"That old hospital doesn't repair itself," she said innocently.

"Yes, but Cousin Robert must have a maintenance staff to take care…"

"You're right but Richard…Dr. Clarkson also spent time in field hospitals where they were pretty much on their own," she said softly, remembering Richard's stories about the Boar War.

Matthew noticed the warm look in his mother's eyes as she spoke of Dr. Clarkson. He also remembered the way that Dr. Clarkson touched his mother and spoke as though they had an understanding. He supposed it could be the result of working in such close quarters these past months but it did leave him wondering.

Molesley walked in then with Matthew's case in hand. "Shall I unpack your things?"

"Just put it on the trunk there and I'll unpack," indicated Isobel.

"No, please set it on the floor near the closet," said Matthew setting his cup of tea on the tray. "It has been a very long day for everyone and I think I'd like to turn in. If you'll just lay out my pyjamas," he said looking at Molesley, "I'll walk my mother to the foot of the stairs."

"Good night, Mother," he said as Isobel bent to hug him and kiss his forehead.

"It is good to have you home," she whispered in his ear. "Good night, Son," she said as she straightened and started up the stairs.

Matthew watched her climb the stairs with a concerned look on his face. When he had first arrived at the hospital, she seemed so warm and vibrant…so alive! And now she was quiet and a bit distant, much as she had been when she was with him in London. He shook his head and wheeled his chair back into the sunroom. It _had_ been a long day and he was sure that things would look brighter in the morning.

-o O o-

Richard walked into the dark, cold kitchen and set his satchel down on the table. He heaved a great sigh and walked over to set a fire in the fireplace. He lit the lamps and began to lay the patient files out on the table. His stomach growled and he realized that he hadn't eaten anything since his breakfast this morning with Isobel. Isobel…he thought back to those last moments when he'd removed the spot of raspberry jam from the end of her finger…and then the bloody phone had to ring! He found himself staring into the coldbox. He finally pulled out what was left of Mrs. Bird's roast beef and stood at the sink while he ate. Without Isobel here to trip over, he wasn't in the mood to cook or to set the table.

-o O o-

Isobel wasn't sure if she could actually climb all of the stairs to the second floor. She knew that she had to keep a calm countenance in front of Matthew and forced herself to keep putting one foot in front of the other…taking the staircase one step at a time. Her heart was in the pit of her stomach with the realization that Richard would not be with her tonight. She thought back to those last few moments alone in their office…Elsie had distracted William and Matthew by herding them out into the hallway towards the ward while Richard leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"_Will you miss me?" He kissed the side of her neck as he slipped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder and drank in his scent as if to imprint it on her memory. He placed his other arm around her shoulders and held her to his chest as he kissed her slowly and deeply. They pulled apart reluctantly as they heard Matthew's voice coming nearer from the hallway._

"_Mother? Is everything alright?" he asked as he appeared in the doorway._

"_I was just asking your mother about Mrs. Hadley and their new baby since she was the last to check on them," said Richard helping Isobel on with her coat. "Good night, Nurse Crawley, Captain Crawley." Richard closed the office door behind them._

She found herself standing in front of her bedroom door. She heaved a great sigh, turned the knob and walked in.

-o O o-

He sat at the table in the kitchen to work on the patient files but found he had a hard time concentrating. His mind kept wandering through his memories of last night. He could hear the sound of her voice teasing him when he dripped gravy on his regimental tie. He could see the sway of her hips as she walked across the kitchen or the vision of her beautiful bottom as she bent over to put the dishes in the lower cupboards.

He slapped the file he was working on shut and shoved his chair back in frustration. He poured himself a large whiskey and slumped down in the armchair beside the fireplace. After downing his drink in two swallows he still felt restless. He leaned his head against the back of the chair but all he could think about was how he missed the feel of her snuggled between his legs with her arms around his chest. He stood abruptly, knocking over the ottoman in the process. He strode the length of the kitchen to deposit his glass in the sink and after turning off all the lights, he stomped up the stairs to his bedroom.

-o O o-

She stood in front of the full-length mirror as she undressed, her body reliving the feel of his hands as they had explored and undressed her the night before. She pulled her shift off over her head and that's when she noticed the small purple mark on her left breast just over her heart. She smiled to herself as she traced it with her fingers, she didn't even remember him giving it to her. She shook herself out of her daydreams to finish putting on her nightdress and climbed into bed.

-o O o-

He entered his bedroom and suddenly felt deflated. He slowly walked to the wardrobe and opened the door to hang his coat. He looked at her clothes hanging on the right side of the compartment. He leaned in and pulled one of her blouses toward him. The faint scent of lavender wafted up to him and he buried his nose in the sleeve. He shook himself and stood back from the wardrobe.

"You're acting like a lovesick schoolboy," he admonished himself.

-o O o-

Sleep eluded her as she tossed and turned in her bed. She kept finding herself on the side of the bed that he had claimed for himself. Not that she minded as they each tended to drift to the middle to hold each other as they slept. She with her head on his shoulder and her arm tossed carelessly over his chest. He curled around her with his head resting atop hers and his legs wrapped around her like a cocoon.

She got up from the bed and paced the room for awhile and finally decided that maybe a glass of warm milk would help. She reached into the wardrobe to don her dressing gown when she spied the cuff of his old wool sweater that she'd hidden behind her other clothes. She pulled it out and held it up to her nose and took a deep breath…_Richard_. She pulled the sweater on and wrapped her arms around herself as a calm, warm feeling washed over her. She put out the light and climbed back into the bed. She turned towards the middle of the bed and pulled the spare pillow…_his_ pillow…into her arms and drifted off to sleep breathing in his scent and hearing the rumble of his chest when he snored.

-o O o-

He changed into his pyjamas and climbed into his side of the bed. He tossed and turned and soon found himself on her side of the bed. Finally, he reached out and pulled her pillow to his chest. He closed his eyes and sighed as his nose again detected the scent of lavender that was uniquely hers. He drifted off to sleep dreaming of long blonde locks spilled across his pillows and the sound of her passionately crying out his name.

_**A/N2: And so it begins…the nights alone...I know the timeline was a bit elongated but to try and keep things in perspective, this is the first night that Isobel and Richard have spent apart since she returned from London. As always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged. ;-)**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: I want to say MANY THANKS to my regular reviewers for their input! But after a full week of working 10+ hours a day…including the weekend (and don't anybody pull a Lady Violet and ask 'what's a weekend?' ;-) ) …to get ready for a national 'convention' here in the States, I could really use a bit more love! LOL! So, I'm going to beg up front for your reviews! **_

_**I hope that ya'll are still enjoying the story as we have a bit of fun and bromance in this chapter!**_

_**Disclaimer: All characters in this chapter belong to Mr. Fellowes (no copyright infringement intended) except for Joseph Laughton (Groom), Ned (Stableboy) and Andy (Hallboy)…these three and the plotline are mine all mine! **_

The next few days flew by in a blur with several of the staff gone each afternoon to make their pilgrimage to the hospital to visit William. He was glad of the company though when Matthew was gone and there would be no one else to talk to in the afternoons. Wednesday finally rolled around and Charles was looking forward to the usual cribbage match with Mr. Laughton and Dr. Clarkson. Mrs. Patmore had packed him a picnic basket with sandwiches and cakes, to which he had added several bottles of beer. He was making his way down the walkway past the stables when Mr. Laughton, the groom, came out to meet him.

"Charles, good to see you my boy," said Mr. Laughton warmly.

"You're looking well, Joseph," replied Charles, "I've got Mrs. Patmore's fairy cakes for dessert this afternoon."

"Much as that does sound tempting," Joseph said with a shake of his head, "I'm going to have to beg off."

"I hope it is nothing serious," said Charles setting the hamper down on the gravel.

"No, it's just the new stable boy, Ned. He's become friends with your hall boy…Andy, I think his name is…and now all he can talk about is learning to be a footman."

"I don't think I understand," said Charles with a puzzled frown.

"I took Ned on when his father and his older brother were called up to active duty. There are four younger children in the family and the mother does the odd job washing and mending around the village but it's not really enough so I gave Ned a job as a stable boy. Turns out he has aspirations to work up at the main house," laughed Joseph.

"I don't really have room for him on the staff at the moment," began Charles, "What with William coming back and all."

"I appreciate the thought but I think I just need to work a bit more closely with Ned and we'll be able to work it out. Unfortunately, that means missing cribbage this afternoon."

"You will be missed," said Charles.

"I'm not so sure about that," chuckled Joseph. "I heard Mrs. Crawley in yer missus' parlor just a bit ago when I was up there to collect Ned. I think you'll be hard pressed to _lose_ a game today with her down to the cottage distracting Richard."

Charles laughed as he picked up the picnic hamper and turned towards his cottage, "That means that _I'll_ miss you!" Joseph turned and waved heading back into the stables.

-o O o-

Charles and Richard were about half way through their first game when the front door of the cottage opened and Elsie blew in with Isobel close behind.

"Brrr!" exclaimed Elsie as she began to take off her scarf and gloves. "It is getting cold out there!" Charles stood to help her off with her coat.

Richard stood as they came into the cottage but froze when his eyes met Isobel's across the room. Charles hung Elsie's coat on the hook beside the door and had turned towards Isobel when Elsie took him by the hand and started leading him to the bedroom.

"Elsie, where are you taking me?" he asked.

"Where does it look like I'm taking you?" she countered.

"I don't think it is polite to abandon our guests so that we can…"

"Men! Only one thing on your minds," she interrupted him as she closed the bedroom door behind them.

"You weren't complaining about my single-mindedness the other night," he reminded her with an affectionate grin.

"No, and I won't complain the next time either," she chuckled as she slipped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "I thought that Richard and Isobel might like some time alone to say their hellos.

"They see each other every day at the hospital," he said pulling her closer and kissing her forehead.

"Isobel said that it's been a complete madhouse with patients arriving every day. She said they haven't been alone together, even in their office, since the day Matthew and William arrived."

"In that case, their hellos could take awhile," he kissed the side of her neck and whispered in her ear, "Maybe we should take advantage and say our own hellos."

"Mmm…hello, Charles," she sighed as he nipped her earlobe.

"Hello, love…" he turned his head to capture her mouth with his own.

-o O o-

Richard shook himself when he heard the bedroom door click closed behind him. "I'm sorry, love!" He rushed over and helped Isobel out of her coat and took her hat to hang them beside the door.

"You look beautiful," he said as he took her in his arms and hugged her tight. "Mmmm…I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she whispered hoarsely in his ear as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

He pulled back to look into her face, "Don't cry…or I might have to join you." She smiled at him though a few tears did make their escape down the side of her face. He leaned over to kiss them away and then kissed his way to her lips. His tongue teased along her lower lip and he was pleased when he felt the thrum of a soft moan escaping the back of her throat as she granted him entrance to explore her mouth. Her hands became a little frantic as they clutched at his back and shoulders.

"Ma belle," he whispered as he pulled away to keep himself from being swept away by the physical sensations that were beginning to stir in him. "Remember, we're not alone." She collapsed in his arms with a groan.

"I'm not certain I can take much more of this," she said breathlessly.

He laughed as he steadied her on her feet, "Maybe I should throw you over my shoulder and drive you away in my motorcar?"

She smiled at him shyly as she said, "I did tell Matthew and Molesley that I thought that you would be able to drop me by Crawley House on your way back to the hospital for your evening rounds."

He quirked an eyebrow at her, "So if I lose spectacularly, can we leave early so we could pull into a secluded lane somewhere?" He leaned over to nibble on her shoulder in an effort to convince her.

"You won't lose anything if we don't get Charles and Elsie back out here," she giggled as he nipped at a ticklish spot he'd found on the right side of her neck.

He released her and walked over to the kitchen table as he called out, "Charles, Elsie, it is safe to come out now." He had reshuffled the cards and dealt out new hands when he realized that the bedroom door was still closed. He walked over and knocked gently on the door. Receiving no response he knocked a bit louder.

He heard a grunt behind the door and said, "It's safe to come out now." Several long minutes later, Charles walked through the door followed by Elsie. Richard and Isobel exchanged knowing smiles when they both noticed that Charles shirt was buttoned off-kilter and several locks of Elsie's hair were hanging loose in the back.

-o O o-

The boys had settled into the routine of their game play and the girls had settled onto the settee and unpacked their mending. Isobel brought out a small box containing several dozen small satin covered buttons that appeared to match the apricot satin garment that was peeking out of her sewing basket. When she finally spread the bodice of the garment out across her lap to start sewing on the buttons, Elsie realized that it was the negligee that she'd given them from Mrs. Whipple's shop in London. She covered her mouth to quiet a fit of the giggles and looked pointedly at Isobel when she looked up from her buttons. Isobel blushed furiously and then cursed mildly when she poked her finger with the needle.

"You'll bleed all over that thing if you're not careful," snorted Elsie still struggling not to laugh. Isobel just glared at her as she sucked on her injured finger. "Come on, I'll bandage you up so you don't ruin that satin."

Charles looked over as the two women stood and walked towards the bedroom. He noticed a piece of blue silk tossed over the back of the settee and realized what it was. He looked over at Richard and his curiosity quickly got the best of him. He waited patiently until the girls had gone into the bedroom and started to close the door before beginning his conversation with Richard.

"Did you enjoy your _gift_," asked Charles studiously looking down at the cards in his hands.

"Fifteen for two," said Richard moving his peg on the cribbage board. "Yes, I did and I'm guessing that you had enjoyed your gift as well?"

"Twenty five and nobs for one point," said Charles laying down his card. "I did indeed."

Richard studied his cards intently for several long moments. "Did yours have any buttons on it?" he asked blushing furiously.

"You count first," said Charles as he picked up the unused cards from the table. "It had _a few_, why do you ask?"

"Charles," Richard said in an exasperated whisper, "there must have been a hundred buttons down the back of that gown!" Charles only murmured in agreement and continued to study his cards. "I had to have torn at least fifty of them off trying to get her out of the damn thing!" He pegged off his points and looked expectantly at Charles.

"Patience, man," tutted Charles looking over his hand at Richard with a raise eyebrow. "A fine garment such as that is meant to be removed slowly and with great care to…_heighten_…the anticipation."

"Charles, if my anticipation had been anymore _heightened_," he said nodding his head towards the settee, "there wouldn't be enough of that gown left for her to sew the buttons back on." Charles roared with laughter. "Damn you, Charles…_only_ a butler would have that kind of patience."

"Don't take offense," Charles continued to chuckle and counted out his hand, "Double run makes eight." He pegged off his points before continuing, "Elsie's gown only had a dozen or so but I think I tore them _all_ off before I was done."

Richard smiled and shook his head saying, "You think they would come up with a better way to fasten those things."

"Laces," said Charles as Richard dealt out the next hand with a quirked eyebrow. "Elsie has one that she wears when the weather is warmer. It laces up the front."

"I'll have to keep that in mind next time," said Richard playing his next card, "Four is a pair for two points."

-o O o-

They were just packing up the mending and clearing away the cribbage board when a knock was heard at the door of the cottage. Charles frowned at Elsie as he walked over and opened the door. The shock showed on his face when he saw who was standing there.

"Good evening, Mr. Carson," said Matthew as the wind flapped at the tails of his overcoat.

"Come in, come in, Mr. Crawley," Charles said when he'd snapped out of his surprised stupor.

"Matthew!" exclaimed Isobel, "Is something the matter?"

"No, mother," he said coming to stop on his crutches next to her on the settee. "Mrs. Bird was called away unexpectedly and I thought I would call around and treat you to dinner at the Grantham Arms."

"What is wrong with Mrs. Bird?" asked Isobel rising to her feet.

"Her sister was taken ill suddenly and she asked to go home to Manchester for a few days," he said looking across the room to see Dr. Clarkson standing in the kitchen. "I didn't think it would be a problem. Molesley and I took her down to the train station and then drove over here to pick you up."

Dr. Clarkson had moved into the sitting area and was about to help Isobel on with her coat.

"Dr. Clarkson, would you care to join us?" asked Matthew.

Richard looked hopefully at Isobel who blushed furiously and suddenly found the carpet beneath her feet very interesting. Richard's face fell but he recovered quickly as he finished helping Isobel with her coat.

"I think not," he said reaching for his own coat from the hook beside the door. "I've been gone from the hospital all afternoon and should probably go make rounds before dinner. But I thank you for the invitation."

"Another time perhaps," said Matthew studying his mother's reaction.

"Perhaps. Charles, thank you for the cribbage and thank Mrs. Patmore for the sandwiches and fairy cakes," Richard reached out to shake Charles hand. "And Elsie, beautiful as ever." He leaned in to kiss her cheek as she reached out to give him a quick hug. "Nurse Crawley, I guess I'll see you in the morning." No one missed the warm glance he gave her as he nodded and turned to open the cottage door. "Good night, All!" he called as he walked out into the cold winter's night.

"Well, too bad he couldn't join us," said Matthew as he moved towards to the door. "Good night, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Carson. Molesley, could you get the door for me?"

Isobel walked over to hug Elsie good night and was wrapped up in a huge hug by Charles. He laid his head atop hers and whispered so that only she could hear, "Just let us know how we can help."

She tightened her arms around him and looked up into his eyes, "You already have." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek and he returned the kiss to her forehead before he let her go. He and Elsie waved from the doorway as the three carefully made their way down the gravel path.

_**A/N2: Laces! Such a simple answer…LOL! Thanks again for reading and I do hope that you'll take a minute and let me know what you think…I even appreciate anonymous reviews! ;-)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: THANK YOU! To everyone who sent me a review for the last chapter…they filtered in throughout my afternoon and evening and kept my spirits up and a little smile on my face through a mighty stressful weekend! I even got an anonymous review and I'd like to give a shout out to that person…since there was only one…YOU know who you are…THANKS! ;-) **_

_**Thanks to 18tilIdie for correcting my French. I made the same mistake that many who convert their stories to English do...relied on the online translator...and I wondered when I first started using 'mon belle' if I was 'not correct.' I even had that Beatles song 'Michelle, Ma Belle' playing in the back of my mind! Bad, Batwings! I will make the corrections to previous chapters and use the correct endearment 'ma belle' moving forward! **_

_**And because everyone was so sweet and went out of their way to review on the same day as the post…I'm going to post this next chapter early! So here we are…beginning to get into the family dynamics with William's homecoming…and there's even some Chelsie fluff at the end. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: All the characters in this chapter belong to Julian Fellowes (no copyright infringement intended…just some fun and shipping!)…except for Tobias (Second Footman) and Andy (Hallboy) and the storyline, which are well and truly mine!**_

* * *

><p>Charles stood in the doorway of her parlor and watched as she checked her hair and the buttons of her dress.<p>

"Am I about to be thrown over for the first footman?" he asked teasingly.

"Charles Carson! What would make you say such a thing?" Elsie's brogue thickened just a bit in embarrassment.

"That's the third time you've checked your hair and dress since I've stood here," he said as he pulled her into his embrace.

"Do you not have better things to do than spy on your wife?" she admonished him with a playful slap to his chest.

"Not when she's dressing for another man…mmm…you smell nice too," he murmured as he buried his nose behind her left ear and sucked lightly on the skin of her neck.

Elsie leaned into his chest as she felt herself go weak in the knees. "Charles…" she took a shuddering breath, "someone might walk in."

"And see what?" he whispered as he ran his tongue along the shell of her ear. "A man making love to his wife?"

"Exactly!" she exclaimed regaining her senses and pushing her hands against his chest. He chuckled as he loosened his embrace.

"William!" they heard Daisy squeal from the back hall.

He felt her stiffen in his arms. "Relax, you have him home now."

She looked up at him doubtfully, "Am I being foolish?"

"No more foolish than I, when it comes to Lady Mary," he admitted with a rueful smile. "Go on with you, before they all smother the boy." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss the corner of his mouth as his hand drifted down to give her bottom an affectionate squeeze.

-o O o-

The butler and the housekeeper arrived in the servants' dining room to find everyone crowded around William and asking him questions faster than the poor boy could answer.

Charles cleared his throat loudly and when the hub-bub died down he said warmly, "It is good to have you home William."

"It's good to be home, Mr. Carson," he said with a bright smile.

"How are you feeling, William," Elsie said with a concerned look and a hug.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Carson," he said returning her hug, "Dr. Clarkson says that I can return to light duty."

"What's all this then, having a party without me?" Tobias walked into the room carrying a tray of dishes having served sandwiches to his Lordship in his study.

Charles watched as the housemaids and hallboys parted like the Red Sea before Moses as Tobias walked up and set the tray down on the end of the dining table near where William sat.

"You must be William," said Tobias with a level look and even tone in his voice.

"You must be Tobias," said William returning his gaze without flinching. The tension in the room thickened noticeably before Charles made his decision and moved to the foot of the table.

"William, Tobias, my pantry," commanded Charles turning to lead the way down the hallway. He opened the door and gestured for them to go in ahead of him. Elsie had followed behind the boys but stopped when Charles blocked the way looking down at her with a raised eyebrow. She glared back at him for just a moment and then a smile broke across her face as she held up her hands in surrender.

"I know, all boys together," she said quietly. "I've had him all to myself in London and at the village hospital so I suppose it is your turn." He took hold of her hand before she could retreat down the hallway.

"Thank you…for understanding," he said with a smile as he squeezed her hand and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Your parlor tonight?" She smiled and nodded as she turned and headed back towards the servants' dining room to make sure that everyone had a task to keep them busy for the afternoon.

-o O o-

William and Tobias stood in front of his desk as Charles walked over and sat in his chair. He leaned back and formed a steeple with his fingers and looked at the two young men with an expectant air.

"I'm sorry Mr. Carson," began Tobias, "This is my fault." Charles just raised an eyebrow and waited for him to go on.

"The rest of the staff has been whispering and carrying on ever since William arrived at the hospital last week and I guess I just wanted to give them what they were waiting for," said Tobias looking down at the carpet between his feet. "I thought Willie-boy here played his part well!"

"Willie-boy!" yelped William turning to Tobias with an incredulous look on his face.

"Sorry…William," apologized Tobias with a smirk, "but if we keep this up we can keep them all walking on eggshells!"

Charles sat up and raised his hands to still the conversation. "We will _not_ be keeping everyone walking on eggshells and I expect the two of you to get along," he said with a meaningful look at both of them.

"Yes, Sir, Mr. Carson," said Tobias snapping to attention. He reached over and held out his hand to William, "No hard feelings?"

William wasn't sure how far he could trust Tobias but he knew how the gossip would have started to fly as soon as word reach below stairs that he was on his way home and that must have been hard on the new footman. William was just grateful to be home at Downton and to have a job to return to. He wasn't about to let either Mr. or Mrs. Carson down, knowing what they had gone through when he went missing.

"No hard feelings," said William quietly as he reached out to accept Tobias' handshake. Charles noticed that William had suddenly turned pale and beads of sweat had broken out on his brow. Dr. Clarkson had described these symptoms and recommended that William have a rest if he suddenly became weak or nauseous.

"Good," said Charles firmly as he motioned for the two to bring forward the empty chairs behind them and to have a seat. He watched them settle in and noticed that William seemed to relax and breathe a bit easier. "Now, let's discuss which tasks will be assigned to William and which will remain with you Tobias."

-o O o-

Charles had started the two out together, polishing the silver for the dinner service that evening. When the first pieces were finished, he released Tobias to track down Andy and sent the two of them upstairs to begin dressing the table in the formal dining room.

"I'll take these upstairs to Tobias," said William rising from his chair and gathering the last of the silver into his arms.

"I'm sorry, William," said Charles with a hand to his shoulder. "Dr. Clarkson was very specific that you were not to be climbing the stairs except to the servants' quarters for at least another week." He went on when he saw the disappointed look in the young man's eyes, "You haven't even been up to your room since you've returned and Mrs. Carson will be quite upset if I were to let you exhaust yourself on your first day back." He took the silver pieces from William and started for the pantry door. "She's been hovering in the hallway ever since I brought you boys in here, I would appreciate it if you would go and have a cup of tea with her so that she can rest assured that I haven't overstressed you in some way."

"Yes, Mr. Carson," said William with a soft smile. The implication that he would be doing Mr. Carson a huge favor by keeping Mrs. Carson occupied for awhile was not lost on William. He went to Mrs. Patmore to request the pot of tea and busied himself preparing a tea tray with linen, cups, saucers and a small plate of shortbread biscuits that he knew she liked.

-o O o-

Elsie looked up from her desk when she heard the soft knock on her parlor door. "Come in," she called out returning her gaze to the paperwork on her desk.

William eased the door open and stepped into the room balancing the tea tray on one hand. Elsie stood and rushed to take the tray from him when she realized who it was entering her parlor.

"Where would you like me to set this?" he asked shooing her away with his free hand. Elsie pulled herself up short and took a second, long look at the young man standing in front of her. The William that she remembered would never have been so dismissive with her and she had to remind herself that William-the-boy was now William-the-man and this was something that she was going to have to get used to. She raised an eyebrow at him as she gestured towards the small table next to the settee.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Carson," he apologized when he realized what he had done. He set the tray down and took a seat at the far end of the settee. "I didn't mean to be so forward, it's just that everyone keeps treating me like an invalid."

"Aye," Elsie began, "I can see how that would be frustrating." She poured them both a cup of tea and put one sugar and a splash of milk in his.

"You remembered," he said grinning at her.

"Of course I remember," she said warmly, returning his grin. "Now, you're not to let Mr. Carson assign you too many tasks this first week…what are you laughing at?"

"Mr. Carson said that you would think he was _overstressing_ me," said William with a smirk.

"Did he now?" asked Elsie with a frown that wouldn't quite stay in place. "Neither of us would want for you to end up back in the hospital so you need to tell us when you aren't feeling well." The clamor of the dinner gong sounded and the usual hustle and bustle of the servants on the back stairs began. "I'll just close this door," said Elsie rising from the settee.

William reached out and took hold of her hand to stop her. "Please don't. I like it, it sounds like…_home_." Elsie squeezed his hand reassuringly and sat back down beside him. They continued to talk about this and that and eventually, William rose to stand in the doorway of her parlor to watch the comings and goings on the servants' staircase.

"Tobias seems to have settled into the routine well," observed William watching the footman run up and down the staircase.

"He was all thumbs when he first came to Downton but he learned quickly, just as you did," assured Elsie.

"I haven't seen Mr. Carson come down the stairs even once to check on anything," said William with a deep sigh. "He used to check up on everything I did, especially after Thomas left."

"I think you'll find that Mr. Carson has changed," she said quietly, "He's had to learn to let go of a lot of things since the war started…"

"War has changed all of us," William said curtly as he began to shift his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry Mrs. Carson, I think I'll just go for a walk."

"Is that advisable this late in the day?" said Elsie standing and quickly moving to his side.

"I'll be fine...Mum," he said covering her hand on his arm with his own. "Dr. Clarkson recommended a short walk before bed to stretch the muscles and calm the nerves." He gave a small smile and turned to stride purposefully down the hallway and out the back door. Elsie watched him go with a worried look, and wondered how many other things about William she was going to have to get used to.

-o O o-

Charles had removed his jacket and was loosening his tie when he walked into her parlor. Elsie stood from her desk and took his jacket to hang it behind the door. He set his tie and collar in the empty space that she had cleared on her bookshelf for his things and walked her over to sit beside him on the settee. He saw two glasses of wine waiting on the side table and wondered what she had on her mind.

"I see Tobias stopped in with the leftover wine," he said as he pulled her down beside him and slipped his arm around her shoulders. She reached across his lap to retrieve one of the glasses. "The dinner service went well, fairly quiet."

"Hmph!" she snorted and rolled her eyes, "Couldn't tell with all the noise and commotion down here." Charles just looked at her with raised eyebrows. "William asked to leave the parlor door open while we had tea and I'd forgotten how noisy and hectic the dinner service could be."

"Ahh…and how is William this evening? I hope I didn't wear the poor boy out," he said with a smirk before taking a sip of his wine.

"He was fine when he left," said Elsie with a stiff shrug of her shoulders.

"When he left?"

"He said that Richard had told him to take a walk before bed," she said turning to him with wide eyes, "that was over three hours ago." Charles rubbed her back soothingly and set his wineglass down on the table.

"I'll go and look for him," he said softly as he rose from the settee. They both heard the backdoor open and close and someone walking quietly down the hallway. Charles moved to the doorway as William started up the stairs to the servants' quarters.

"William…" began Charles. William turned on the stairs and gave him a challenging look. "Is everything alright?" he asked with a calm but authoritative voice.

"Just fine, Mr. Carson," said William evenly. "I went for a walk after dark and lost track of the time. I'll be off to bed now," he said turning and taking another step up. He halted as Charles spoke again.

"There is a curfew in this house and you will be expected to abide by it."

"Yes, Mr. Carson. Good night, Mr. Carson."

"Good night, William," replied Charles as he watched William walk up the remaining stairs and turn into the men's hallway. He felt rather than saw Elsie standing behind him watching the exchange. He turned around and found his arms full of Scottish housekeeper.

"Oh Charles, whatever's happened to that poor sweet boy we knew?" her eyes welling up with tears.

"The war has turned him into a man, one that we're going to have to get to know all over again," replied Charles kissing the top of her head. "Richard warned us that there would be ups and downs in his recovery. I can imagine that he just wants everything to return to the way it was before he left and he's finding that _nothing_ is the same as before he left."

He reached under her chin and tilted her head up so that he could brush away her tears and found her hands restlessly toying with the buttons on his waistcoat.

"Tell me," he said as he looked down at her and rubbed her back with soothing strokes. She shrugged her shoulders and released the breath she had been holding in a deep sigh.

"I don't know," she leaned in to rest her head on his chest. "I guess I'm just being a nervous Nellie."

"I have an idea. Let's go down and stay in the cottage tonight." She didn't respond but he felt her arms tighten around his waist. He leaned down to nuzzle the side of her neck as he whispered, "It's been a few days since we've been alone together and you've got a half day tomorrow so you can sleep in." He tightened his arms around her as she looked up at him with a sad expression on her face. He leaned down to cover her mouth with his own and found her response to be a bit hesitant and needy.

"That's it then," he declared and reached behind the door to retrieve her coat. "We could both use a good night's sleep in our own bed so get your coat on and meet me at the back door." He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers and gave her a reassuring smile before going to his pantry to get his own coat and hat.

-o O o-

Charles lit a lamp when they arrived in the cottage and turned to find Elsie shivering in the cold. They could see the mist from their own breaths as they stood together at the kitchen table. Usually, he would arrange for Andy or one of the other hallboys to come down and set a fire in both rooms to warm the place up before they arrived. Being an unplanned stay left them both rather cold and miserable as they stood looking at each other in the dim light.

"Let's get you bundled into the bed while I set the fire and put the kettle on," he said firmly taking her by the hand and leading her into the bedroom. He drew back the covers and nudged her to sit on the edge of the bed while he knelt down and removed her shoes.

"Charles, I think I can manage my own shoes," she gave him a weak smile when he looked up at her.

"This was my brilliant idea," he said with a touch of sarcasm as he helped her off with her coat, "now scoot!" He pushed her back to lie down on the pillows and tucked the covers tightly around her. He turned to the fireplace and quickly lit the kindling and added a couple of logs before turning and heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked in a voice muffled by the covers pulled up over her chin and nose.

"To put the kettle on," he replied blowing on his hands to keep warm.

"No, I don't want any tea," she said turning back the covers on his side of the bed. "Come to bed and keep me warm."

"Never let it be said that Charles Carson abandoned his lady in her hour of need," he chuckled as he shrugged off his overcoat and toed off his shoes before climbing into the bed next to her. He pulled her close and hugged her to him along his length to share his body heat and keep her warm. He felt a shiver pass through him when she rubbed her cold feet up the back of his calf beneath his trouser leg. "Why is that your feet and hands are always so much colder than the rest of you?"

"That's the way that God made us women," she said with a teasing note in her voice, "and that's why we marry." He pulled back to look down at her with a quirked eyebrow. "So that our husbands can keep us warm at night." She smiled and stretched up to kiss him under his jawline.

He leaned in to kiss her again and this time he found her response to be warm and inviting. When he broke away, she continued to nibble along his jawline and nuzzled his neck while he worked at undoing the buttons on her dress beneath the covers. He pushed the shoulders of her dress down and rolled onto his back with her on top so that he could push the fabric down to her waist. He then undid the fastenings of her corset while she worked on his belt and trouser buttons. They wrestled for a bit trying to remove their clothing but only managed to get tangled up in the sheets and quilts. Elsie started to giggle and soon was laughing outright. Charles just looked down at her in amazement.

"What?" she asked when her laughter finally subsided.

"You," he said shaking his head, "I haven't heard you laugh like that in quite awhile."

"Really?" she asked and pushed back the covers as he nodded his head silently. "Maybe we should wrestle more often." She smirked as she drew her dress and corset off over her head. Charles slipped out of his trousers and shirt and tossed them to the floor beside the bed. The air in the cottage was still quite chilly and they both dove back under the covers.

"Come here," he commanded as he reached out and drew her to him. "I have my husbandly duties to fulfill. Keeping you warm for one thing," he explained at the amused look on her face.

"For one thing?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I think there was something about keeping you satisfied in our wedding vows," he scooted down in the bed to face her as he slipped his hand beneath her shift, "wasn't there?"

She gave him a wicked smile and moved closer, "Never let it be said that I _distracted_ you from fulfilling your husbandly duties!"

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I hope that ya'll enjoyed this chapter and the family dynamics that are beginning to play out. For those who are interested…there is a supplemental chapter for Charles and Elsie over in the M-section…you know where to find it! ;-)**_

_**Reviews are always welcome and really do give us a boost to hear what you think about our stories! Thanks again to everyone for keeping my spirits up on Sunday! **_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Onesimus who is likely in need of a little 'fanfic de-stressor' this afternoon! Hope you enjoy this insight into the family relationships as they are really beginning to develop now. **_

_**Disclaimer: They still belong to Mr. Fellowes (no copyright infringement intended) except for Tobias (Second Footman) and the plotline…which likely bears absolutely no resemblance to Series 3 because my little AU is much more fun!**_

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><p>The days began to fly by as the calendar headed towards Christmas. Matthew had begun to make some progress such that he could walk across the room without dragging his left foot very often and the therapists had him working on taking the staircase, one step at a time.<p>

Isobel and Matthew arrived at the hospital one morning just as Richard was crossing the drive from his cottage, a stack of patient files in one hand and a mug of tea in the other.

"Good morning, Dr. Clarkson," called out Matthew as he stepped out of the motorcar and turned to give his mother a hand descending from the backseat.

"Good morning, Captain Crawley," replied Richard as he came to a stop next to Matthew. He smiled warmly at Isobel when she had finished descending from the car and turned to greet him.

"Good morning, Dr. Clarkson," she smiled back at him before reaching to retrieve her handbag from the backseat.

"Nurse Crawley," Richard nodded in greeting, "I'm glad to see you this morning. I just got a call that Toby Miner is back to see us this morning."

"Not another fox bite, I hope," exclaimed Isobel as she and Richard turned to begin walking towards the hospital.

"A badger bite this time," Richard chuckled and handed her his mug of tea.

"That boy's fascination with animals," laughed Isobel as she accepted the mug. "Perhaps you should talk to his teachers about veterinary school?"

Matthew stood on the drive and watched the two walk away from him. His mother with a warm and animated expression on her face and Dr. Clarkson with his hand lightly resting on her lower back. Suddenly his mother stopped and turned to look back at him.

"I'll just have a word with Mr. Molesley and I'll be right in," Matthew said waving at the pair to keep walking.

-o O o-

Matthew took a seat against the wall to wait for his turn at the parallel bars. He had a clear view of his mother and Dr. Clarkson as they worked on the boy with the badger bite. He was fascinated as he watched his mother keeping the boy distracted with questions and stories as she deftly handed the appropriate instruments and supplies to the doctor without a single word passing between them.

"That should do it and you'll need to bring him back in three days time, Mrs. Miner, to have his stitches out." Those were the first words that Matthew heard the doctor utter since he'd sat down.

He watched as the two made their way through the ward, the doctor checking patients and his mother writing notes and assisting where needed. He was reminded of the way in which his mother worked with his father when he was still alive. He had to smile to himself as he remembered that his father was usually two beds ahead on the ward leaving his mother to scramble after him as she tried to keep the patient files and notes straight.

Dr. Clarkson was a very different man from his father. As he watched, he noticed that the doctor would ask for his mother's opinion on occasion and he would wait patiently for her to finish writing her notes on one patient before moving on to the next. Matthew also noticed that the doctor stepped up close beside her when she asked him to verify her notes once and rested his hand at the side of her waist when he reached around her shoulder to point out a mistake in the prescribed medication. He thought that he could see his mother blushing but whatever the case, he knew that it had been a long while since he'd seen her looking this radiant and this happy.

The doors to the ward burst open and someone dressed like a farm hand was carried in supported by another farmer and a small bird like woman. Matthew recognized the injured man as one of the tenants that Cousin Robert had recently introduced him to on their weekly rounds of the estate.

"Mr. Richert!" exclaimed Dr. Clarkson as he and Isobel made their way over to the trio. Matthew watched as they cleared a bed to lay the man down on. "What happened?"

"He tripped in the barn and one of the cows stepped on his leg," said the other farmer. Isobel cut away the material of his trouser leg to get a better look at the large purple bruise on the man's upper thigh.

"Let's get an x-ray and see what we have," said the doctor motioning for a nurse to bring over one of the empty gurneys. "Bring him back here when he's finished."

"I've got to get back to my own farm, Dr. Clarkson," said the man who'd brought Mr. Richert in.

"That's fine, we'll take it from here," said Richard with a hand on the man's shoulder. He turned to see Isobel consoling Mr. Richert's wife. "Why don't you take her to the office and have a cup of tea while we wait for the x-ray?" he said gently. Isobel nodded at him and put her arm around the woman's waist to support and guide her across the ward to the hallway where the doctor's office was located.

Matthew watched as the doctor continued his rounds with one of the younger nurses who appeared to be intimidated by the doctor and as a consequence was having a hard time with his instructions and keeping up with him. Matthew smiled and shook his head at the difference in the doctor's behavior with his new assistant.

-o O o-

Tobias walked by the workroom where William had been setup to iron the newspapers and take care of several of the tasks that Mr. Carson had assigned him. He noticed that William was polishing several pairs of shoes and thought this to be rather odd. He returned to the workroom several minutes later bearing two mugs of tea.

"I put milk in but wasn't sure if you took any sugar or not," said Tobias holding out one of the mugs. William looked up at him with a wary eye but set down the shoe he was polishing and took the mug from him.

"Thank you," said William, "I do take a little sugar but this is fine."

"Why are you polishing shoes?" asked Tobias, pulling over a crate to sit on and taking a sip of tea from his own mug.

"These are my shoes and boots," he replied setting aside the cloth he had been using. "In France, I had to do my own and I remember that Mr. Carson once told me that he polished his own for two reasons…no one else could do them the way that he could and he found it relaxing to polish them, said it helped him quiet his mind at the end of a busy day…and he was right."

"Speaking of Mr. Carson, what do you think of the old couple?" asked Tobias with an overly innocent tone in his voice.

"They are _not_ old!" exclaimed William standing suddenly to tower over Tobias who was sitting on a small crate on the floor. "This house couldn't run without them and I'll not hear a bad word spoken about them."

"Calm down," said Tobias standing up to show William that he wasn't intimidated. "I didn't mean anything by it. They _are_ old...as compared to you and me but I like them. Old man Carson, excuse me, Mr. Carson can be tough at times but he's always been fair to me and he's taught me a lot." William seemed to relax a bit and both young men returned to their seats.

"They've been good to me as well," said William looking down at the floor, "Especially Mrs. Carson."

"She's a real firecracker that one," said Tobias with a mischievous grin on his face. "She keeps the old man…_Mr. Carson_, in line."

"I imagine she does," replied William with a wry smile.

"How are you feeling these days?" asked Tobias changing the subject.

"Not so tired, I'm hoping Mr. Carson will let me serve at table again soon."

"It's not so bad when it's just the Ladies, even with Mrs. Crawley and Lady Violet but with Christmas coming up, I'm sure we could use the help," said Tobias shaking his head.

"Hmm…I would imagine with Captain Crawley home, there will be more of that kind of celebration going on," agreed William.

"You know something William," began Tobias, "I just can't imagine what the two of you must have gone through out there."

"No, you can't," said William curtly, picking up his shoe to begin polishing again and bring the conversation to an end.

"I wasn't quite sixteen and couldn't enlist last year, so I came to work here at Downton. By the time I _was_ old enough, most all of the other men were gone from the house and poor Mr. Carson was running himself ragged trying to do everything by himself," said Tobias quietly staring into the bottom of his mug. "I suppose if there's a conscription soon, I'll be called up with all the other lads my age."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said William softening his tone a bit. "Captain Crawley told me that Mr. Carson had once collapsed from an anxiety attack. Were you here then?"

"No, I wasn't," replied Tobias, "but I heard that his attack was what prompted the advertisement to hire a new footman."

"I guess I never realized how hard it would be for Mr. Carson when I left…what with Thomas already gone and none of the hallboys ready to take our place."

"I think I've got that one covered," said Tobias perking up with a smile. "Andy's been assigned to give me a hand around the place and he's shaping up to have real potential as a footman when he gets older."

"Really?" asked William returning to his polishing task with vigor, glad that the conversation was turning back to less serious topics.

"I think so, and with you returning to the dining room…" Tobias trailed off as Mrs. Carson appeared in the doorway with a concerned expression on her face.

"What are you boys up to?" asked Mrs. Carson folding her hands in front of her.

"Nothing, Mrs. Carson," said Tobias with a smirk at William. "Just having a cuppa with William here while he polishes his shoes."

"Does Mr. Carson not have enough to keep you busy?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"He does indeed, Mrs. Carson," said William as he gathered up his polishing kit and Tobias reached down to pick up a pair of his shoes. "Tobias, if you'll give me a hand putting this stuff away, we'll go up and talk to Mr. Carson about redistributing the duties in the dining room."

"Right you are William, I'll just take these up to your room, shall I?" he smiled at Elsie on his way out the door.

Elsie reached out and stopped William before he passed through the door. "William, don't let Tobias press you into taking on anything before you're ready."

"I won't Mrs. Carson," he replied with a genuine smile. "I think Tobias is a good guy, we just need to figure out how we fit together. I'll be fine," he reassured her and followed Tobias up the stairs to the servants' quarters.

Elsie watched the two young men run up the steps and disappear round the corner into the men's hallway, their laughter drifting back to her. She remembered some of the stories that her sister had told her about when her nephew Davey was their age. She shook her head and laughed to herself as she wondered if perhaps she now had two _sons_ to deal with when Sarah only had one.

-o O o-

Matthew had finished his physical therapy and was sitting in a chair on the ward to rest for a few minutes when Dr. Clarkson came out of one of the examination rooms. He rose to talk with him when Mrs. Richert ran up to the doctor.

"How is he, Dr. Clarkson?" she asked eagerly.

"He'll be fine, Mrs. Richert," said Richard calmly as he removed Mrs. Richert's hands from the front of his uniform and held them in his. "He'll be in a cast for six weeks but he should make a full recovery."

"Six weeks," wailed Mrs. Richert as she turned pale and looked as though she might faint at any moment. "I'll never be able to milk the cows on my own for that length of time and we've a few fields that need tending before…" she trailed off as the tears started down her cheeks. Matthew had crossed the room and was standing beside the crying woman at this point.

"Mrs. Richert," said Matthew softly, "I don't know if you remember me but we met when I accompanied Lord Grantham on his rounds of the estate a few weeks ago." Mrs. Richert could only nod her head in acknowledgement. "The important thing is that your husband is taken care of and able to heal properly. I'm sure we can work something out to ensure that the work that needs to be done on your farm is adequately taken care of until your husband can return."

"But we can't afford to hire any extra help," sobbed Mrs. Richert.

"I'll talk to Lord Grantham and I'm sure we can come to a suitable arrangement," said Matthew as he held out his arm to where the nurses were settling her husband into a nearby bed.

"Thank you, Sir," she said as she moved to sit by her husband's side.

Richard looked at Matthew and asked, "Can you really do that?"

"I assure you, Cousin Robert will not allow them to lose their farm and livelihood due to an unexpected injury," said Matthew confidently. "I'll need some information to take with me though, is there someplace we can talk?"

"My office," said Richard motioning for Matthew to move in front of him.

"This may take me awhile," said Matthew sheepishly as he started slowly across the ward.

"You're doing quite well, Captain Crawley," said Richard as he fell into step beside the younger man. "The therapist tells me that they've got you working on the back staircase now."

"You mean the 'torture steps'?" asked Matthew with a rueful snort.

"You used to think the parallel bars were torture," laughed Richard as he opened the door to his office.

"The kettle is still hot, would you like a cup of tea, darling?" asked Isobel turning from the counter across the back of the office to see Matthew preceding Richard through the door.

"That would be nice, thank you, mother," said Matthew taking a seat in the chair across from Richard's desk. "How did you know it was me?" He gave her a quizzical look as she set the mug down on the desk in front of him.

Thinking quickly she replied, "I heard your voice from the hallway?" She glared at Richard when he caught her attention from behind Matthew and mouthed 'well done' at her with a sly smirk. She stepped over and sat down at her own desk and pulled a tall stack of patient files towards her as a young nurse knocked on the door and stuck her head around.

"Nurse Crawley?" the young nurse asked timidly, "The new supplies are here and they won't leave them with anyone but you. Said they have to have a doctor or administrator's signature."

Isobel heaved a great sigh as she shifted the patient files back on her desk and looked over at her son. "Can you wait another half hour or so?" she asked as she heaved herself up out of her chair.

"I was thinking about that, mother," said Matthew looking over his shoulder at her. "I really don't need for you to sit with me at home in the afternoon's anymore. I've found myself staying at home to keep _you_ company rather than running errands in town or going over to see Cousin Robert. As far as I'm concerned, you may stay here as long as you wish. Just call for Molesley when you're ready to go home."

"Are you sure, Matthew?" she asked pausing in the doorway.

"Yes, mother," he said with a soft smile. "It looks like I will have some things to take care of in the afternoons myself this winter with keeping an eye on the Richert farm and seeing to the estate while Cousin Robert is in London."

She gave him a determined smile and said, "We can talk about _that_ when I get home tonight." The two men laughed as she disappeared out the door.

"I take it she rules the roost as much at home as she does here?" asked Richard with a small smile.

"That she does," laughed Matthew, "Now, the information that I'll need for my discussion with Lord Grantham."

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><p><em><strong>AN2: So, is Matthew putting two and two together? And is he coming up with four? Or is he a smart cookie and coming up with 'Isobel + Richard'? ;-) Reviews are most welcomed and highly encouraged! THANKS!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone for their recent reviews! We're starting to get into the 'meat' of the story now and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: Mr. Fellowes owns all of the characters in this chapter (no copyright infringement intended) except for Mrs. O'Malley (and family) and the storyline which is completely mine!**_

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><p>It had been a pretty miserable day in early December when Matthew returned from his first turn at making the rounds of the estate without his Cousin Robert, Lord Grantham, in attendance. It had been difficult for him to get around on some of the farms with his stiff leg and his cane but his willingness to get out and muck around in the fields and in the stables had been enough for most of the tenants. He could begin to see their acceptance in the way they spoke to him and the way that they looked him in the eye and shook his hand at the end of each visit.<p>

Matthew arrived home at Crawley House just as Mrs. Bird was ready to serve dinner. He was wet and muddy but his mother recognized the glint in his eye and the smile on his face, it had been a good day as far as he was concerned.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said as he pulled off his muddy boots and made his way to the old sunroom. "It will only take me a few minutes to wash up and change."

"That's quite alright, Mr. Crawley," said Mrs. Bird wiping her hands on a dishtowel and gathering up his boots and raincoat. "It's just a lamb stew and will be all the better for simmering a bit longer."

"It smells wonderful," he called out over his shoulder as he turned to kiss his mother who had appeared in the doorway to the front parlor and then moved on to his bedroom to change clothes.

"He's looking stronger every day, Ma'am, if you don't mind my saying so."

"I don't mind at all, Mrs. Bird," responded Isobel with a genuine smile, "I'm glad to see the smile back on his face as well. I think he'll be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Mrs. Bird returning to her kitchen.

-o O o-

Matthew had retired after dinner to his study with a brandy to go over some of the paperwork from the estate that required his attention and Isobel was sitting in the front parlor when she heard the phone ring. She looked up from her embroidery to see Matthew standing in the doorway with a puzzled look on his face.

"That was Dr. Clarkson," he said looking over at her with a frown. "He said that Mrs. O'Malley's labor has turned sour and he'll be by to pick you up in a few minutes."

"Oh my," replied Isobel putting her hoop and needle back into her sewing basket and rising from the settee. "I'll need to change into a more suitable skirt and blouse."

"But mother!" exclaimed Matthew, "it's almost ten o'clock. Surely you're not leaving the house at this hour?"

"Dr. Clarkson would not have called if did not need my help," she said turning on her heel and heading up the stairs. "I will be down in just a few minutes."

Matthew was standing in the hall with his mouth agape when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it Mr. Molesley." He opened the door to find Richard Clarkson standing there in the rain. "Come in, Dr. Clarkson."

"Thank you, sorry to disturb you so late," said Richard brushing the rain off his coat before stepping into the hall. "Is your mother ready?"

"She upstairs changing her clothes," said Matthew quietly.

"Mrs. O'Malley went into labor yesterday but her baby hadn't turned so I put her on bedrest hoping to slow things down enough for the baby to turn on its own. Her husband arrived at the hospital a half hour ago to say that the mid-wife sent him because she's been in hard labor for a couple of hours now and I may have to do a caesarian section. I could use your mother's surgical skills if it comes to that."

"Richard," said Isobel as she hurried down the stairs, "How is Mrs. O'Malley?"

"Not well and we need to hurry," said Richard as he stepped over to the coat closet beneath the staircase to get her coat and hat.

Matthew stood aside and watched the two as they prepared to go out into the night.

"It's cold and miserable out there, you'll need your scarf and gloves," said Richard looking back into the coat closet. "Are they in your blue coat?"

"I think so, I'll need my handbag as well," she said as she did up the buttons on her winter coat.

Matthew wondered to himself, how it was that Richard knew where to find his mother's coat and hat and even more importantly, how did he know she had been wearing her blue coat the day before.

"Good night, Matthew," said Isobel stepping over to kiss him on the cheek.

The last thing Matthew saw was Richard's arm around his mother's waist as he pulled her close to protect her from the wind and rain under his umbrella. He heard the motorcar start up and the crunch of the gravel as they went down the drive towards the street.

-o O o-

Charles had arrived back in his pantry after locking up the house and was removing his jacket and tie when Elsie walked through the door bearing a tray with a large pot of tea and a small covered plate. He stepped over and took the tray from her but stood such that she couldn't come any further into the room. She turned a quizzical eye on him.

"I'm tired and I'd rather get comfortable on your settee," he said and motioned with the tray for her to lead the way.

Elsie turned on the electric lights when she entered her parlor.

"Could we not use the electricity tonight?" barked Charles wincing against the harsh lights.

"I wasn't expecting to come back in here before we went up to bed so I put out all the other lamps when I came to you," she grumbled at him. Charles heard the scratch of a match behind him as he set the tray down on the table beside the settee. "There now, I can shut the electricity off," she said soothingly.

He knelt down on the hearth where she had banked the fire to stir the embers back to life and gently place another log. Soon he had it crackling and hissing and adding to the soft glow in the room.

She was standing behind him when he stood up from the fireplace. She reached out and rubbed the muscles at the small of his back which had started acting up when he was working over at Crawley House a few weeks ago.

"Mmm…feels good," he murmured as she slid her arms around his waist and laid her cheek on his back. She liked to listen to his deep even breathing and the rumble in his chest when he tried to speak softly.

"Your boys came to see me this afternoon," he said continuing to stand in front of the fireplace with his hands covering hers across his stomach.

"How come when they've done something wrong, they're _my_ boys?" she chided him.

"Did I say they'd done anything wrong?" questioned Charles who continued with a chuckle, "You sounded just like your sister, Sarah, there for a moment."

"Funny you should say that," she giggled and pulled back to take a seat on the settee. "I've been thinking about her and the stories she would tell us about Davey when he was their age."

"A few of them have crossed my mind as well," he said smiling over at her. They sat at opposite ends of the settee, each rubbing the other's feet.

"Hmph…so what did _my_ boys want to talk to you about?" she asked, giving the arch of his foot an unusually vigorous knuckling.

"Ouch! Alright…_our_ boys wanted to talk about William coming back to serve at table," he grunted in discomfort.

"Do you think he's ready?" she asked quietly, soothing his arch with a soft stroke of her fingertips.

"His physical strength and stamina appear to have returned," said Charles absentmindedly stroking the back of her calf. "There's only one way to know for certain and that's to put him to the test."

"Couldn't you start him out with breakfast or luncheon?"

"With his Lordship away, the Ladies don't even come down for breakfast and luncheon is usually just Edith or Sybil unless Lady Violet or Isobel come over," he said with a deep sigh.

"You can't feed him to the Old Dragon," exclaimed Elsie.

"Hmph! For whatever reason, Lady Violet has a soft spot for William so I'm sure that things would go well even if she was there," he said giving her his imperious raised eyebrow. Charles had been a young footman at Downton when Lady Violet and her husband were raising their family at the Abbey. He had come to respect Lady Violet for her dry wit despite her sometimes acid tongue.

"Dinner with the Ladies would be a good start though, before his Lordship returns," said Charles reaching to pour them both a cup of tea. "Which reminds me, his Lordship called this afternoon to inform me that he will be coming home next week and staying through the New Year. He would like to have Isobel and Matthew over for dinner to discuss the upcoming holiday meetings and parties and addressing Matthew's expanded responsibilities on the estate."

"And the Christmas chaos begins," said Elsie with a small snort. Charles just raised an eyebrow in agreement. "Her Ladyship asked that I bring her the seating charts and room arrangements for the Christmas hunt and the Christmas dinner party from last year."

"Elsie," he said with an edge of warning to his voice, "What are you thinking?" She smirked at him over the rim of her teacup. "I know you're up to something with that Cheshire cat grin."

"Now might be our chance to play fairy godparents," she said with a laugh.

"Fairy godparents?"

"For Richard and Isobel," she giggled at the look on his face. "You know that Richard is always invited to the Christmas hunt in case there's an accident or emergency and he was invited to the Christmas dinner party last year…" she trailed off.

"And you're thinking we could arrange to have them seated next to each other at dinner?" he asked innocently.

"And…then there's the room arrangements…"

"You're not suggesting that we arrange to get them assigned to the same bedroom!" he exclaimed with a look of mock horror.

"Of course not!" huffed Elsie, "but we could try to make it easier for one of them to stumble upon the other's room?"

Charles laughed and said, "We could indeed! Now, if you asked for my opinion…which I know you didn't…" he responded to her skeptical look and raised eyebrow, "I would put Richard at the far end of the men's hall and Isobel at the far end of the ladies' hall."

"Go on," she said still looking a bit skeptical.

"Then _you_ can sneak Isobel down the servants' staircase and over to the men's wing without anyone being the wiser."

"And why should Isobel be the one to _sneak_ over to Richard's room?" she said casting a baleful eye at him.

"Because…by that time of night, all the other single men will have either snuck off to someone else's room, or they will be passed out drunk and not aware of any loud voices or _noises_ coming from a nearby bedroom."

"You've been thinking about this," she accused him with a smile and a shake of her head.

"Ever since his Lordship confirmed that he wanted to hold both the hunt and the dinner party," he said with a warm chuckle. "Now, show me what's under that cover."

"Mrs. Patmore wanted to try out a new recipe for crepes for the holidays. I hope you don't mind, I gave her some of that apricot brandy that his Lordship sent down from London," she grimaced at the look on his face.

"That will depend on how the crepes turned out," he said somberly taking the plate and fork from her. "Not bad, didn't you try them?" Elsie shook her head no. "So you were waiting to see if she poisoned me first then?"

He chuckled and cut off a piece of the crepe. He swirled it around in the sauce and then picked it up with his fingers and held it out to her. She leaned forward so that he could place it into her mouth and she noticed that some of the sauce dripped onto the ends of his fingers. She took hold of his hand and started to lick the sauce off the end of his index finger eliciting a soft moan from him. She looked up into his eyes as she sucked the end of his middle finger into her mouth and was rewarded with another moan as his eyes fluttered shut.

"You're not playing fair, love," he murmured as she shifted herself between his knees and leaned over to kiss away a wisp of crème from the corner of his mouth. His arm reached out wildly to find the table and set down the plate containing what was left of his crepe as she stretched herself out along his length and pulled him into a slow and deeply passionate kiss.

She was wearing the dress that fastened with a simple row of hooks down the back and his mind wondered for a moment whether she had planned this seduction but he found he didn't care as he made short work of her dress and corset. There was suddenly a sense of urgency in both of them and they stood to remove their rest of their clothing.

He turned to look at her in the flickering firelight and was overwhelmed with a desire to hold her close and kiss her. He sat down on the settee and pulled her down to lie beside him and he pulled the rug over them as if they were settling in for the night.

"What's the matter?" she asked with a disappointed note in her voice.

"Nothing."

"You don't want to make love to me?"

"Of course I do, but it feels so very good just to hold you…and kiss you…" he trailed off as his lips captured hers and his hands stroked up and down her back.

She shifted up and nudged him to lie flat on his back so that she could straddle his hips. "Well, you can hold me all you want to _after_ you've had your way with me!" She proceeded to kiss and nip at his neck and collarbone as she ran her fingertips through the hair on his chest.

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled as he quickly got down to the business of making love to his beautiful wife.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: So it was a little hard to resist the opportunity for a bit of fluff at the end of this chapter…and sorry….but there is no supplemental chapter for this scene. I'm hoping that you'll review anyway and if nothing else, flame me for no supplemental chapter…LOL! THANKS!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: Almost all ya'll have asked if Matthew has suffered a blow to the head or some sort of brain damage…LOL! You'll just have to keep reading to find out! ;-)**_

_**Disclaimer: Still belong to Fellowes and ITV…still using them for my own enjoyment…and the enjoyment of others…for no monetary gain and no copyright infringement is intended!**_

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><p>Matthew sat alone at the breakfast table the next morning when Mr. Molesley came in with a fresh pot of tea.<p>

"Should I send a tray upstairs for Mrs. Crawley?" he asked.

"No, she probably returned late last night and is having a bit of a lie-in this morning," said Matthew continuing to read his newspaper. "I'm sure she'll be down before long."

"Yes, Sir," said Molesley turning to leave the room.

"Go ahead and bring the car around," said Matthew as he folded the newspaper and set his napkin beside his plate. "I'm due at the hospital for my therapy appointment and Nurse Richards will have a fit if I'm late." Mr. Molesley chuckled and nodded his head in agreement.

-o O o-

"You can have a rest when you reach the second floor landing and not before," said Nurse Richards with a firm shake of her head.

"You just like torturing the patients, don't you?" he asked with a sarcastic tone and a roll of his eyes.

"Only the pretty ones," she replied with a flirtatious smile. "There, now that wasn't so bad was it?" Matthew was a bit out of breath but he had to admit that the stairs seemed to get easier week by week.

"Nurse Richards!" called one of the younger nurses from the bottom of the staircase. "We need you down here on the ward right away!"

"What is it now?" she asked impatiently.

"Dr. Clarkson still isn't back and Mr. Bricker has started throwing things at the nurses."

"What about Nurse Crawley? As Head Nurse, she can order a sedative for him," called out Nurse Richards.

"Dr. Clarkson took her with him to the O'Malley's last night and they still haven't returned."

"Oh, alright! I'll be right down," said an exasperated Nurse Richards. "You wait right here and catch your breath, I'll be back in a tic!" Matthew stood to attention and gave her a mock salute and watched as she marched herself down the stairs. He stood there a bit surprised at the possibility that his mother had not returned home last night and wondered if he should be worried about her.

There was a large bay window on the second floor landing that overlooked the alleyway between the hospital and the cottage next door. It was an unusually sunny day and the light shone warmly on his face as he stood watching the snowbirds picking through the blades of grass in the nearby garden looking for seeds and bugs.

A flash of light caught his attention and he saw Richard's motorcar turn into the alleyway and park beneath the window. He watched for several minutes and his curiosity was getting the better of him when he finally saw Richard get slowly out of the car. He walked around the front of the car to the passenger side and opened the door. Matthew noticed right away that the front of the doctor's white coat and his shirt were covered in dried blood. His mother stepped out of the car and appeared to trip and stumble. Richard reached out to steady her but she placed one hand on his chest and held him away from her. Even from the second floor landing, Matthew could see that there was quite a bit of blood on his mother's blouse and skirt as well. Things must not have gone well last night he thought to himself.

He was mesmerized as he watched the scene unfolding below him. His mother turned her back on Richard and covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders began to shake as she broke down in tears. Richard stepped up behind her and placed one arm around her waist and one arm around her shoulders and pulled her back against his chest. Her hands reached out and tried to move his hands and arms but Richard would not be deterred as he gently kissed the back of her head, then her temple and finally the side of her neck when she leaned her head back onto his shoulder and cried out in her anguish. After the initial outburst of emotion, she sagged against his chest and he turned her so that he could hold her close as she cried herself out with her head on his shoulder. When her tears had finally subsided and her breathing appeared to even out, Richard raised her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

Matthew could see him speaking to her but couldn't hear anything from behind the window glass. He saw his mother give the doctor a tired smile and nod her head. Then he watched as Richard turned back to the car to retrieve his medical bag and shut the car door.

A movement caught Richard's attention from the corner of his eye and he glanced up to see Matthew standing in the bay window his hand reaching out and pressing against the glass. The two men locked gazes for several long moments. Richard could see the distressed look on the younger man's face but couldn't tell if it was anger or disbelief. It seemed as though he was trying to reach through the glass towards his mother.

"Is something the matter?" came Isobel's tired voice behind him.

"No, ma belle," he said closing the car door and turning to face her. "Come, let's go inside." He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his side to rest her head on his shoulder as they slowly walked across the drive to the cottage.

-o O o-

Charles was just leaving the housekeeper's parlor when William and Tobias came through the backdoor in a flurry of motion and laughter. They stopped short when they saw him standing there with his imperious butler frown on his face.

"And where have you two been?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carson," replied William with a grimace. "Dr. Clarkson recommended that I take a walk around the main house several times a day to strengthen my legs."

"It's not all his fault, Sir," Tobias chimed in, "I went along to keep him company."

Charles could feel Elsie's small hand rubbing gently on his back in a soothing manner, telling him not to be too hard on the boys. He was actually quite pleased to see them getting on so well but he did have a reputation to maintain after all. "I see…next time be sure to let myself or Mrs. Carson know when you are going out so that I don't have to wonder why I'm down a footman…or two?" he replied with a stiffly arched eyebrow. "Go smarten yourselves up and meet me in my pantry in five minutes, we have work to do." He felt her hand steal into his as she peered round his shoulder to watch the boys trot up the stairs to their rooms.

"What? No lashes or punishment?" she admonished him with a playful grin.

"I take my cues from you, madam," he said with a smirk as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "It is time to start training them properly and they'll soon wish I'd given them lashes instead." He winked at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before moving down the hall to his pantry.

Elsie stood and watched as he disappeared through his doorway. She heard the boys clattering down the stairs behind her and stepped back as they rushed down the hall pushing and shoving as young boys do. They slowed a bit and straightened their expressions as they passed by her but she heard their grunts and the sudden thump of one of them bumping into the nearby wall as she turned towards her desk shaking her head in amusement.

William and Tobias came to a stop outside the butler's pantry and tugged on their waistcoats and jackets to make sure that everything was in place before knocking on the door.

"Enter," called Charles standing up from his desk. He watched as the two bumped elbows and each tried to hold the other back as they walked through the doorway. "Hmph!" Charles began by clearing his throat and leveling a stern look at both of them. "There is a time for play…and there is a time for _work_…do I make myself clear?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! Mr. Carson," said the two in unison as they tried to suppress their grins.

"Good, now Tobias, I will be working with William in the wine cellar this afternoon to begin his lessons as sommelier. I will be relying on you to meet with her Ladyship to determine the table service, choose the silver service and to dress the table for dinner this evening. William, you will assist me with the inventory of the new delivery, stocking of the wine cellar and we will choose the wine for tonight's dinner."

"Yes! Mr. Carson," came the choir in unison again.

Charles couldn't help but chuckle, "Alright you two, I want the both of you to cart the wine cases down to the cellar. Just set them inside the door and William and I will take it from there. I'll let Mrs. Carson know where we'll be for the rest of the afternoon." He dismissed them with a wave of his hand as he leaned over his desk to gather his inventory sheets.

-o O o-

Two hours later, Richard stepped out of his cottage on his way over to begin the paperwork for Mrs. O'Malley and her infant when he found Matthew sitting on the wooden bench in the front garden.

"Beautiful afternoon for December, isn't it?" asked Matthew innocently, motioning for the doctor to have a seat at the other end of the bench. Richard sat down and crossed his legs, leaning back to bask a little in the warmth of the sunshine.

"Indeed it is, Captain Crawley," he replied, "have you been waiting long?"

"Not long, and I think that under the circumstances," he paused for a moment, "you should call me Matthew."

Richard had hoped to avoid a confrontation such as this but now that Matthew was sitting here, face to face, he felt suddenly calm.

Richard acknowledged his statement with a nod and went on, "Matthew, what can I do for you this afternoon."

"I take it things didn't go well at the O'Malley's?"

"No…they didn't," replied Richard with a grimace. "By the time we arrived, Mrs. O'Malley's uterus had ruptured and the baby was so distressed...we lost both mother and child last night."

"I am very sorry to hear that," said Matthew gently.

"Your mother took it very hard."

"Where is my mother?" Matthew asked, finally breaking the silence.

Richard quickly decided that he would be honest but only give what information was requested, "Asleep."

Matthew considered his next words carefully, "In your bed?"

"Yes."

"Is that what she couldn't tell me about when she was in London?"

"Not exactly," replied Richard with a half smile. Matthew just raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

It was Richard's turn to choose his words carefully, "I had been…_courting_ your mother for a couple of months when the news came that you would be transferred to the hospital in London. We weren't as…_close_…as we are now but even then, your mother was concerned that you might be angry or even…resentful…that it would appear that she had been at home having a grand time, while you were suffering in a field hospital in the middle of the war."

"That sounds like my mother," snorted Matthew, "Always worried about those around her." Richard chuckled in agreement. "You said that you'd been courting before she came to London but that's obviously changed…" Matthew trailed off.

"Your mother made it clear that she wanted me to keep my distance until after she had a chance to see you and break the news to you. She was ecstatic that you'd had the breakthrough in your therapy in London but she feared that she had done irreparable damage to our budding relationship."

"She didn't think she had a relationship to come home to," said Matthew with a flat tone. "I can understand that, I wasn't sure that I would have a _life_ to come home to."

"Well, you were both wrong," Richard said with a small laugh, "It was during that separation that I realized how very much I love your mother and when I told her that I wasn't going to leave her and that I would support her in any way that she wanted me to…our love just seemed to blossom after that."

Matthew nodded slowly as he considered everything that the doctor had shared with him. "I guess I'm supposed to ask if you intend to make an honest woman of her?"

"I would have married her the moment she returned from London, if I thought she would have accepted me," said Richard quietly. "But I knew that she wouldn't say yes until she had your blessing."

"And I can't give my blessing until she asks," replied Matthew.

"So, here we sit," said Richard with a wry smile.

"Hmm," murmured Matthew seeming to be mulling something over. "I think it would be best if she were to tell me herself so please don't say anything about our conversation."

Richard wasn't sure if he was comfortable with this request and wondered if the young man would also want him to curtail his relationship with Isobel. "I don't intend to stop seeing your mother and I won't discourage her from coming to see me."

"My mother is a grown woman and can make those decisions for herself," said Matthew rising from the bench. "I only ask that for her sake, you are discreet."

"As the village doctor, it behooves me to be discreet for both our sakes," replied Richard standing to face him.

"I've watched the way that the two of you work together over at the hospital and the way she lights up when you walk into the room. You make her very happy," Matthew said holding out his hand to the doctor. "And I'm glad that she has you in her life."

"Thank you, Matthew," replied Richard smiling warmly and returning his handshake firmly.

"Mother and I were both due to have dinner at the Abbey tonight," said Matthew as the two men strolled towards the hospital. "But I think it would be best if she stayed with you, considering her state of mind."

"Are you sure?" asked Richard, a bit surprised at the young man's sensitivity.

"She will need you more than she needs me," replied Matthew with a small frown. "I'll make her excuses to the Ladies and I'll give Mr. Molesley and Mrs. Bird the night off so they won't miss her at Crawley House."

Richard decided not to enlighten the young man to the fact that both of their servants were aware of the relationship. "I'll tell your mother that you called the hospital and thought that she might appreciate having some time to herself to recuperate."

Matthew nodded and waved goodbye as he walked out to the street where Mr. Molesley was waiting in the motorcar. Richard watched as they drove off and wondered how he was going to deal with Isobel and keeping this secret from her.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I'm sorry that there wasn't a happier ending at the O'Malley's and I hope that ya'll aren't too mad at me. I needed some angst and drama to drive my plotline this time. Give me a review to let me know what you think about Matthew and Richard's conversation! Thanks!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Thank you to everyone who submitted a review to the last chapter! And now that Matthew knows? Hmmmm…well, that one will have to wait for an answer in a later chapter because we have a quick peek into the lives of the Carson's in this chapter. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: All of the characters in this chapter belong to Mr. Fellowes and there is no copyright infringement intended.**_

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><p>They had just finished placing the last of the wine crates at the bottom of the cellar steps when Mr. Carson's voice rang out from the hallway above, "Tobias! That is her Ladyship's bell." Tobias grimaced and rolled his eyes at William in the dim light from the single electric light bulb hanging from the ceiling in the wine cellar. He smothered a laugh as Tobias ran up the stairs calling out, "Yes, Mr. Carson!"<p>

William turned to take in his surroundings. The cellar was filled with rows of shelves that went from floor to ceiling but not quite from wall to wall. He walked down to the far end of the room and peered to the right and to the left. There were four rows of shelves to each side holding various sized and colored bottles, each lying on their sides with their corks tipped slightly downwards. He turned to the right and started walking past the rows of shelves to see what he would find at the back of the cellar.

As he got closer to the far corner, he noticed that it was very dark and soon his senses heightened and he picked up the dank smell of moss growing on the stones that created the outer wall. He could hear the murmur of voices above him but couldn't make out what they were saying. He flinched when he heard the sound of creaking floorboards and felt a bit of silt and dust fall down the back of his neck. His breathing started to speed up and he felt the panic begin to surge through him. He could faintly hear the sound of gunfire and mortars exploding and wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him.

"William?" The sound of Mr. Carson's clear voice ringing out in the cellar brought him back to his senses. He took a deep breath to calm himself and brushed the dust off his shoulder.

"Here Mr. Carson," he replied with just a small quaver in his voice. He turned and walked out from behind the shelves to find Charles standing under the light with his inventory sheets in hand.

Charles noticed that William was as white as a sheet even in the dim lighting from the electric bulb and that his face was covered in a sheen of sweat. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Carson," said William trying to brighten the expression on his face, "You just startled me is all."

"Carting those heavy crates down the steps was no easy task," said Charles quietly. "We could go upstairs for a cup of tea before we tackle the inventory…"

"No, Mr. Carson," interrupted William, "I'm fine! I wish everyone would stop treating me like I was ill."

"William," commanded Charles, "We are just concerned for your health. You've been injured and in a coma and that is not an easy thing to recover from."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carson," replied William meekly.

Charles reached out and laid his hand on top of the boy's shoulder, "It's alright, we'll get through this together." Appreciating the gesture, William took a deep breath, pulled down his waistcoat and nodded his agreement. "Right then, young man," said Charles looking over to the wine crates, "First thing is to open the crates and check them against the inventory sheets."

They had been working steadily for two hours. William would pry open the wooden crates and read the label from one of the bottles out to Mr. Carson. Charles would find the appropriate inventory sheet and count out the number of bottles that should be in the crate and William would verify. They developed quite an efficient routine whereby they would cart the crate to the proper shelf and Charles would explain where the wine had come from, what grapes were used to make the wine and then what types of meals or events that particular wine might be served at while they placed the bottles on the shelves. William was even able to surprise the older man by sharing details of the towns and the people he had seen in some of the regions that several of the French wines had come from.

"We need to handle these last two crates with care," William heard Mr. Carson say. "They are champagne and the corks are under pressure and if you're not careful, they may explode."

"Yes, Mr. Carson," said William as he pulled a bottle from the shredded packing material in the crate.

"This champagne is a new one that his Lordship found at one of the regimental dinners he attended in London. According to the inventory it is from the Provence of Picardy in France." Charles mumbled to himself as he counted down the lines in the inventory. "There should be six bottles in each crate for a total of twelve." He stood with his head down scribbling a couple of notes to himself on the inventory sheets to do a bit of research on this vintage as he waited for William to call out the count. When the silence had gone on overlong, he looked up to find William frozen in place, staring down at the bottle in his hand.

"William?" he called softly, not wanting to startle the boy but got no response. He stepped over and placed his hand on William's arm. William jerked away from his grip and at that moment, the cork exploded from the bottle in his hand with a loud pop. William was instantly in motion, tackling Charles to the floor and looking wildly around as he knelt on his hands and knees above the older man.

"William," Charles began but was cut off when he felt the boy clap one hand over his mouth.

"Shhh!" whispered William hoarsely, "They'll hear you." He looked over his shoulder at the light bulb swinging slightly from the ceiling. "I've got to get that light out before they see us." He raised up on his knees and swung the champagne bottle that was still gripped in his right hand in an arc over his head and broke the light bulb plunging them into darkness. He had misjudged the distance to the low ceiling and managed to clip the rafter with the end of the bottle showering them in champagne and shards of broken glass.

There was a moment of absolute silence surrounding them. Then William's tentative voice came out of the darkness, "Mr. Carson? Wh-what h-happened?" Charles could feel the muscles of the boy's arms and legs begin to tense up where he knelt above him and he could hear William's breathing become very shallow and erratic. The sound of several pairs of footsteps could be heard on the steps down to the cellar. Charles sat up quickly and clasped William to his chest as the boy collapsed in his arms.

"Stop!" he called out with a commanding tone and the footsteps halted. "I want Mrs. Carson…and only Mrs. Carson… to bring down a lamp and her first aid box." He heard the footsteps retreat up the stairs as he became aware of the choking sounds coming from the boy in his arms.

"William!" he commanded as he raised one hand up in the darkness to find the boy's face. "Listen to me…everything is alright. We just had a little accident with one of the Champagne bottles. I want you to calm down and concentrate. You need to breathe slower and deeper." It finally came to Charles that William must have suffered one of the episodes that Richard had described to them at one of their afternoon cribbage matches. He had said that soldiers sometimes forget and imagine themselves back in the trenches and that in their own minds, it is as real as when they were actually fighting in the war.

Charles felt the boy nod his head and said, "We'll breathe together, deep breath in…and out." They went on this way for several minutes until they could hear a single set of footsteps coming down the stairs. "Elsie? Is that you?"

"Yes, Charles," came the quiet reply.

"Be careful, there's glass all over the floor."

Elsie arrived at the foot of the stairs with her lamp and found Charles sitting on the floor with his back against one of the shelves of wine, holding William in his arms as the boy cried on his shoulder. She didn't say anything but Charles could read the look on her face and motioned for her to stay where she was.

"William, are you alright?" he asked pulling back to look the boy in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Carson," William's voice quavered and broke as the tears streamed down his cheeks. "I don't know what's come over me."

"Dr. Clarkson said that you might have episodes like this and that it is nothing to be frightened of. He said that we should acknowledge them and move on and that they will lessen with time."

"But it was as if I was actually there!" William whispered with a cracking voice. "I could hear them and smell them…." he trailed off hanging his head.

"Oh William, my boy," sighed Charles pulling him back into his embrace. "It must have been so awful for you."

Elsie stood at the foot of the stairs as she watched her husband's stiff and unbending exterior crack and fall away as he soothed William and stroked the back of his head. A few stray tears worked their way down his cheek as he murmured to the boy that everything was going to be alright. She saw William's body go limp as he finally gave in to the emotional exhaustion and fell asleep on Charles shoulder. She stepped over to kneel down beside them when Charles reached out and took her hand with a shake of his head.

"There's glass everywhere, love," he said as he kissed the back of her hand. She brushed at the tears on his cheek as she smiled down at him.

"I'll go and get a broom then, shall I?" she queried and turned towards the steps.

"There should be one just there under the stairs," he replied with a wave of his hand. He watched as she worked carefully and quietly sweeping up the bits of broken glass around them. William stirred once when she accidentally bumped his foot with the broom but Charles soothed him back to sleep with a few strokes of his hair and a kiss to the top of his head.

Elsie brought her first aid box over and knelt down beside them. She had brought a damp dish towel down with her to wash away any blood and debris and she began to clean Charles' face with it. There were very few cuts or scratches on his skin so she figured that most of the blood must have come from holding William so close. She was wiping one last spot on his left cheek when he hissed suddenly and pulled away from her.

"Sorry, love," she apologized and tried to wipe away the new streak of blood on his face.

"Ouch! There's something still caught in there," he grumbled at her and pulled away again.

"Hold still or I won't be able to get it out," she grabbed hold of his chin to keep him still. She poked a bit and he hissed a bit but she finally found a tiny sliver of green glass embedded in the scratch and removed it with a pinch of her fingernails. "There, that ought to take care of it." She held the dishtowel to his cheek to put a bit of pressure on the scratch and when it finally quit bleeding she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on it.

"Better," he murmured with a small smile, "but I think you may have missed a spot." She arched an eyebrow at him and he tapped his bottom lip with his index finger. "Right here."

She smiled down at him and leaned in even further as he met her halfway to place his lips on hers. He'd just started to nibble on her bottom lip when William jerked awake and sat up suddenly. He panicked for a moment and looked around wildly when Charles placed a firm hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"William, everything is fine. You fell asleep for a few moments. Mrs. Carson will need to take a look at you now and see to your cuts and scratches." They stood up from the floor and Elsie reached over and upended one of the empty wine crates and pushed William over to sit on it. She cleaned his face with the dishtowel and found two cuts that would bear watching over the next few days. She daubed a bit of ointment on both of them to keep them clean and then swiped the end of his nose playfully with the towel.

"Off with you now," she smiled down at him. He looked up at her solemnly and suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. Charles came around the corner from having stowed the champagne bottles and found the two of them holding each other. He walked up to the pair and placed one hand on the top of William's head and placed the other arm around his wife's shoulders as he leaned over to kiss her on the temple.

"Come, son," he said quietly as he rubbed the back of William's head, "We need to discuss which wine will be served at dinner." William looked up at the two of them and then stood and pulled down on the bottom of his waistcoat. "You'll need to change into a clean uniform so go on up and get washed and changed and meet me in my pantry in twenty minutes."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Carson and thank you, Mrs. Carson," he said turning and clattering up the steps.

"Charles," began Elsie as she turned into his embrace, "Are you certain that William is up to serving at table tonight."

"No, I'm not, love," he heaved a heavy sigh and looked down at her. "Richard said that he would need to rest after episodes like this but knowing William…he'll be more upset if I send him to his room."

"Hmm…is there any way to compromise?" she asked.

"I think there might be but he will still not be happy," he sighed and leaned down to kiss her gently. "I'd better get changed myself." They turned and slowly walked up the steps together.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: Of course 'shell shock' is a form of what we now know as PTSD. I hope that I have portrayed it believably and that I've provided the loving family network that all young people deserve when they return from service to their country. **_

_**Reviews would be very welcome!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: We start to carry both major storylines in this chapter. I hope you're enjoying where the story is going. There's still a bit of drama but I promise there will be some lightness and maybe even a bit of fluff coming up in the not too distant future!**_

_**Disclaimer: Again, they are owned by Julian Fellowes, ITV and here in the States, I'd be willing to bet that PBS has a stake in them as well! I mean no copyright infringement…just trying to make the characters and us fanfic readers a bit happier as we await Series 3! ;-)**_

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><p>Richard had completed a fairly quick round of the patients in the hospital before going down to his office where he found two stacks of patient files waiting on his desk. He sat down with a thump and scratched the back of his neck in irritation. He did not want Isobel to wake up alone over in the cottage so he decided to pack up the files and take his paperwork back home with him.<p>

"Nurse Richards," he called out on his way through the ward. "I've ordered a sedative for Mr. Bricker, if he should need one, and everyone else seems to be doing well. I'll be over at the cottage working on these files and catching up on the administrative paperwork. Nurse Crawley will not be in today so call me if you need anything. I'll be back to do rounds again this evening."

"Yes, Dr. Clarkson," said Nurse Richards as she watched him leave through the side door.

-o O o-

Richard walked into the kitchen and deposited the files and his satchel on the kitchen table before going over to turn the gas on under the kettle. He climbed the stairs to his bedroom to check on Isobel and stopped in the hallway between the two bedroom doors. He pushed open the door to the spare room and noticed that the afternoon sunlight was streaming in through the window now that the sun had gone over to that side of the cottage. It had been awhile since he'd used this room but he thought that it would be the perfect place to work and keep an eye on Isobel.

He opened the door to his own bedroom and looked in on her. He had convinced her to undress down to her shift and climb under the covers to keep warm. He could see that she had snuggled over to his side of the bed and pulled his pillow to her chest. Her breathing was deep and even, indicating she was still in a deep sleep. He walked over and added another log to the fire in the room to keep it warm and then took some of the kindling and two of the logs over to the spare room to start a fire in there.

Leaving the doors between the two rooms open, he had made a quick trip downstairs to prepare the tea tray and then carried the files up to the rolltop desk while the tea was steeping. On his second trip, he threw his satchel over his shoulder so that he could carry the tray with the teapot and two cups up the stairs where he settled in to catch up on his paperwork.

He'd been working for about an hour when he heard her begin to whimper and cry out from across the hall. He crossed the room to find her tossing and turning under the covers. He sat beside her and rubbed her back and spoke softly to her.

"Isobel, my sweet," he murmured, "wake up, it's just a dream." Her eyes flew open as she looked around the room. When her gaze finally focused on him, he reached out to smooth her hair back from her forehead and smiled down at her. She gave him a weak smile in return.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked fuzzily as she reached out to take his hand and rub her cheek against it.

"Almost four hours," he replied lifting her hand to his lips. "How are you feeling?"

"A little lost at the moment," she said trying to sit up.

"Shush, you don't have to get up yet," he tried to calm her and lay her back down. Her lower lip began to tremble and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "What's the matter, ma belle?"

"I want you to hold me," her voice quavered with the unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, but you still don't need to get up," he toed off his shoes and started to lie down beside her but she had managed to sit herself up and scoot towards the head of the bed. He moved so he could sit back against the headboard and draw her into his arms. He felt her shiver against his chest and he could feel the goosebumps break out on her bare arms. He reached over and pulled the quilt up around her shoulders as she settled her head on his chest.

"I should probably go home soon," she said quietly, "before Matthew starts to worry." Richard still wasn't sure that he was comfortable with the arrangements he had agreed to with her son but he decided that he would honor them for the time being.

"I talked to Matthew this afternoon," he told her.

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth," he said feeling her stiffen in his arms as she looked up at him with a worried look on her face. "I told him what happened out at the O'Malley's and I told him that you were resting.

"You didn't tell him that I was here at your cottage?" she said in a panic.

"Shush, now," he said soothingly as he avoided answering her question. "He said to tell you that he was sorry about what happened and that he would make your excuses to the Ladies so that you could have some time on your own."

"I'd forgotten about dinner with Cousin Cora," she said with a sigh and nestled on his shoulder.

"Speaking of dinner, are you hungry?" he asked kissing the top of her head.

"Not really but I suppose we should eat something," she snuggled closer as he tightened his arms around her.

"I called Mr. Finney down at the butcher shop earlier and had him put aside a couple of lamb chops and I'm certain that Mrs. Albert will still have the grocery open so what would you say to parsnips and carrots? Why don't you go have a soak in the tub while I run down there and pick them up?"

She looked up at him and reached up to caress his cheek with her hand. He tightened his embrace to draw her closer and pressed his lips to hers. It was a deep but tender kiss, not about passion and desire but about longing and connection to one another. She lay her head upon his shoulder with a sigh when they finally pulled apart.

"I don't like them," she said quietly.

"Pardon?"

"Parsnips, I don't like parsnips."

"Would you rather have potatoes then?" he asked with a soft chuckle. She silently nodded her head as he rose from the bed. "I should be back within a half an hour."

-o O o-

Elsie watched from the desk in her parlor for William to go by on his way to the butler's pantry. When she heard his heavier footsteps coming down from the servants' quarters, she stepped to the doorway with a concerned look. He had washed his face and changed his uniform but she could see that he was still pale and looking a bit skittish. He stopped beside her for a moment and reached out to squeeze her hand.

"I'm alright, Mum," he smiled at her tentatively and then leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. Elsie felt a rush of emotion and she reached to out to straighten his tie and smooth his waistcoat. She smiled at him as a tear rolled slowly down her cheek.

"Och, go on with you now," she said her brogue thickening with emotion, "he's waitin' for you."

"That I am, Mr. Mason," came Charles' resonant voice from the shadows of his pantry door. He had come to his own doorway to see what was keeping William and kept silent so as not to intrude on Elsie's moment.

"I'm sorry…Dah," said William hesitantly, looking down at his feet. Having Charles Carson as your father was a bit intimidating but after what the man had done for him down in the wine cellar and the fact that he was still willing to keep him on staff, William couldn't have felt any more affection for the man if he _had_ been his father.

Charles reached out and clapped one of his large hands around the back of William's neck. "You know I can't play favorites during working hours," he said in a low voice so that only he and Elsie could hear. "But I'm glad to see you're feeling better, son." He pulled the boy in to his side in a bit of a bear hug and then nudged him towards the door to his pantry. "In you go now." He looked down to see Elsie standing beside him with a knowing smile on her face. He pulled himself up to his full height and pushed out his stiff butler's upper lip as he looked down his nose at her.

"You can't fool me, Charles Carson," she said reaching up to take hold of his lapel and pulling his head down so that she could kiss the corner of his mouth. "You will make a wonderful father," she whispered in his ear. He straightened up and looked down at her with great affection before turning and walking silently into his pantry.

-o O o-

He and William had been discussing the dinner menu and talking about the various wines in the cellar when they heard a knock at the door.

"I thought you two could use a cup of tea," said Elsie coming in with a tray bearing two cups of tea, a small plate of sandwiches and a tall glass of milk. "I thought you might be hungry as well since you missed lunch while you were down in the wine cellar."

"Thank you, my dear," he said with a warm smile for her. He handed the glass of milk to William with a warning look when the young man started to frown. "William, please bring Mrs. Carson a chair."

"I didn't mean to interrupt," she begged off as William jumped up and stepped behind her to bring over the empty chair from against the wall.

"I have something that I'd like to discuss with both of you if you don't mind staying?" he asked as he handed her a cup of tea. She took the cup and sat down beside William with a curious look on her face.

"We're due to be very busy during the hunt and the Christmas holidays and even with William back in full force, we're going to be lacking for trained staff to take care of everything," began Charles with a considered tone in his voice. He felt he would need to choose his words carefully in order to prevent William from becoming upset. "Mrs. Carson assisted me belowstairs during many of the meals that were served after you left William and before Anna started serving in the dining room. I would like for us to consider using a similar plan for the upcoming dinner parties."

"I don't think I understand, Mr. Carson," said William, his back straightening as he set his half finished glass of milk on the desk.

Charles looked hard at Elsie before turning his attention to William, "I want to make one thing perfectly clear, I expect you to be serving at table by the time we are ready for the upcoming hunt." William returned Charles gaze without flinching and waited for him to go on. "For tonight, I would like to suggest that you work with Mrs. Carson belowstairs to coordinate the trays and wines to go upstairs to the dining room." William stood abruptly and set his sandwich plate down with a thump.

"I am NOT an invalid!" he shouted and started to turn towards the door.

"Sit DOWN!"

Elsie had reached out to place her hand on William's arm to prevent him leaving the room and they both turned with incredulous looks at Charles' sudden flare of temper. William sat slowly down as if his knees could simply no longer hold him up.

"First and foremost, these petulant outbursts will not be tolerated," Charles said evenly, looking William directly in the eye. "I believe that I understand how you feel after having recently been incapacitated myself, but that does not excuse your behavior." William hung his head but remained silent.

"Charles," came Elsie's quiet voice.

"No, Elsie," he interrupted, "this needed to be said. If we are going to function as a staff, or…as a family…we need to establish the ground rules. And neither you nor I would tolerate an outburst like that from any of the staff…and I don't believe that William's father would have tolerated such behavior from his son."

"No, sir," said William remorsefully, "he would not have. I'm sorry, Mr. Carson…Dah. I promise it won't happen again."

"I've always found that promise to be difficult to keep…I find that fits of pique are not always something that can be controlled," said Charles with a small smile and a wink at Elsie, "Just ask my wife." Elsie looked at William and rolled her eyes. "Just promise me that you'll try to think before you act." William nodded and sat back in his chair with a deep sigh.

"No one wants to _keep_ you an invalid," began Charles, "but there are certain…weaknesses…that come with your injuries and we need to heed the Doctor's advice so that you can heal and strengthen yourself." William acknowledged the statement with a grimace and a shake of his head. "This is not meant as a punishment and I expect Tobias to spend his fair share of time belowstairs as well…ahhh, Tobias…please join us."

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Carson but I just wondered which wine glasses we should be dressing the table with this evening." Charles sat back in his chair and quirked an eyebrow at William as he rested his upper lip on his steepled fingers.

William stood abruptly when he realized that Charles expected him to take the lead in explaining the wine choices for tonight's dinner. He walked around the end of the desk and reached for the wine bottle sitting on the side table. Turning to face the room, he tilted the bottle with the base resting on his forearm to show the label.

"This is a Merlot from the Bergerac region of France. It is a robust Merlot and closely resembles a Cabernet so I think the Bordeaux glasses will work nicely," said William confidently.

Tobias nodded in appreciation and said, "Good choice to go with the roast rack of lamb, and for dessert?"

William had set the bottle of Merlot back down on the side table and picked up the bottle of champagne. His hands began to tremble slightly but he took a deep breath and gave a tight smile when Charles nodded in support.

"This champagne is from the Provence of Picardy and more specifically, from the Somme Valley." He could hear Elsie's soft gasp and noticed the look of concern that flashed momentarily on Tobias' face. "It's alright," he went on with a slight quaver in his voice, "it is good for me to confront what happened and acknowledge that life does go on."

"Glasses or flutes?" asked Tobias placing one hand on William's shoulder and taking the bottle from him with the other.

"Flutes, I think," said William with a mischievous smirk on his face, "the Ladies will appreciate the elegance…and _girls_ always like to watch the bubbles."

Having forgotten that Elsie was still in the room, the three men turned in surprise upon hearing her give a sudden snort and a laugh.

"I think it's time for _this_ girl to go to her parlor and leave you _boys_ to it," she said shaking her head as she walked out the door.

Charles laughed out loud when he turned to find the two boys with puzzled looks on their faces. "I wouldn't ponder it too long if I were you, gentlemen," he said taking the champagne bottle and setting it beside the Merlot on the side table. "My recommendation is to allow the mystery that is _woman_…to remain a mystery as long as possible." Charles laughed again when they shrugged their shoulders and rolled their eyes at him.

"Tobias, you will introduce William to the fine art of decanting the wine and I will assist Andy with the wine glasses and flutes and then we'll talk about the new routine when I return."

-o O o-

Dinner had gone well and Charles was returning from his final rounds when he found Elsie wrapped up in her scarf and coat headed for the back door.

"Where are you going at this hour?" he queried as he caught her by the elbow and pulled her around to face him.

"It's William," she said softly laying her hands on his chest.

"Perhaps he just needs a short walk after the excitement of today, I couldn't hardly blame him." He looked down at her but she refused to meet his eyes. "Elsie, what aren't you telling me? Did something happen belowstairs that I should know about?"

"Not exactly," she began, "it's just that Tobias' kept giving him snippets of the conversations that were going on in the dining room…I think he meant it so that William would feel a part of what was going on abovestairs but it only seemed to wind him up."

"Hmm…well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to ignore the curfew just this once. It has been a very long day for the boy." He lifted Elsie's chin so that he could look into her eyes and he found them troubled and filled with tears. "Again I ask, what aren't you telling me?"

"Please don't be angry with me," she said leaning her forehead against his chest. "This isn't the first time that he's been out after curfew."

"What do you mean?"

"I…I've…gone behind you and unlocked the back door so that he could let himself back in when he's ready," she said with a trembling voice. "But this is the first time that he's _left_ the house after curfew and I'm worried."

He was angry and disappointed that she would undermine his authority in this way but his concern for William and what might happen to him was just as strong as hers.

"We'll talk about this later," he said firmly, setting her back from him as he turned and walked back to his pantry. "How long has he been gone?"

"A few minutes before you stopped me," she said watching as he reached for his coat and hat.

"I want you to go on up to bed," he commanded as he buttoned up his coat against the cold.

"Charles," she said meekly tucking his scarf in a little closer around his neck.

He took her face between his hands, "Everything is going to be alright. You cannot wait up for him, he needs to believe that you trust him and that he can trust you. I promise, I won't let any harm come to him." He kissed her softly, turned her by the shoulders and swatted her bottom as she started for the stairs. He watched as she took the turn at the first landing before he walked purposefully down the hallway and out the back door.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: Okay…so there's a supplemental chapter that goes with this one that moves the Richard and Isobel ship further along. It's not really introduced in this chapter and doesn't move the main story arc along…but if you're a firm believer in a bit of 'anti-stress fluff'…then this is the chapter for you. You know where to find it! ;-)**_

_**And as always…reviews are encouraged and welcomed! Many thanks to those of you who comment regularly…you are the only way for me to know whether what is written has any meaning or resonates with you in any way! :D**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: I admit that I had put this story on hiatus while I was working on 'Behind Closed Doors' and 'Valentine Ringtones' so there are a few of you out there going through 'Heart withdrawals'…I apologize! Silly Sophie was brave enough to stand up and ask for a new chapter so this one is dedicated to Sophie!**_

_**Last we saw, Elsie was beside herself because William had gone out in the middle of the night and Charles was hot on his heels to find out what's been going on….**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters in this chapter belong to Julian Fellowes and ITV except for Mr. Joseph Laughton (Groom) and Ned Jameson (Stableboy) – No copyright infringement in intended.**_

* * *

><p>Tap, tap, tap…tap, tap, tap…he brushed at whatever it was beating a rhythm against his chest and tried to turn over so that he could snuggle up to his Elsie. His arms reached out but he couldn't quite reach her, he could feel two small round objects pressing against his chest. When he finally decided to open his eyes, he found that the two objects were Elsie's fists and she had a highly disgruntled look on her face as she tried to pull her wrists from his grasp. His eyes drifted closed as he raised her arms up towards his head to encourage her to hug him around the neck so that he could pull her closer.<p>

"Charles!" she exclaimed as his hand slid down over her hip to grasp her bottom. "Wake-up!"

"What time is it?" he murmured in a voice thick with sleep.

"Four-thirty," came Elsie's voice muffled against his chest as he wrapped one leg around hers and pulled her snug against him.

"Just another half," he groaned letting his head drop back onto the pillow.

"But Charles, you promised to tell me what happened last night!"

She could hear the sounds of his soft snores as she felt his body relax back into sleep and loosen their hold. Short of dousing him with cold water, she could think of only one other way to get his attention when he was like this. One of her arms was trapped beneath his neck and she used that hand to scratch behind his ear and gently tickle the skin at his hairline. Her other hand slid softly down around his waist to tickle the dimples at the small of his back. She knew she had to ride a fine line with this type of play for it would not be fair to push him too close to the edge and then withhold herself from him but she'd been able to rouse his attention this way on more than one occasion and the final results were usually enjoyed by them both.

"Mmmm…" he murmured as he worked his way toward consciousness. His arms reached out to pull her close again and she could feel the first stirrings of his arousal. She quickly moved her hand up from that most sensitive spot on his back and was quite careful to avoid rubbing against his lap. She kissed and gently nipped at the base of his neck. "Elsie…if you want me to tell you about last night, you'd better slow down just a bit."

They both laughed as she punched him gently on the arm. She started to pull away from him but he took hold of her with one hand at her shoulder and one at her hip. He turned her to face away from him as he spooned up close to her back.

She could still feel the signs of his arousal and asked, "Are you sure this is a wise idea?"

"It is if you'll keep still," he chuckled in her ear and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. "That's better," he said softly as he kissed her behind the ear.

"Charles!" she said with an exasperated note in her voice. "William?"

"Alright!" he exclaimed as he settled his head against the pillow. "I found him down at the stables…."

-o O o-

_Charles stepped out of the back door into the cold and overcast night. He shivered as the damp edge in the wind bit the skin on his cheeks and he turned up the collar on his wool coat and pulled his scarf up and over his chin and nose. He looked to the right and to the left but supposed that if William had been as wound up as Elsie had indicated, he would likely have headed straight down the gravel path away from the main house before deciding to take off in any one direction. As he neared the end of the path, he could hear the distinct squeak of the paddock gate opening and closing. _

_He quietly stepped into the shadows of the walkway between the stables and their cottage and watched as William led a tall dappled grey into the work paddock. The horse was taller at the shoulder than William and he began prancing and snorting nervously as soon as the gate closed behind them. Charles preferred the quiet boredom of parlors and dining rooms to horse stalls and paddocks but he knew enough about horses to recognize when their behavior bordered on being dangerous. He was about to step out of the shadows when he heard William's voice float to him on the night air._

"_Alright, Thunder," said William soothingly as he stroked the firm cheeks of the stallion behind the bridle straps. "We know each other, don't we boy." The horse seemed to calm immediately and lower his head so that William could scratch at the white star on his forehead. William pulled an apple from his coat pocket and held it out so that Thunder could take a bite and then returned the remaining half of the apple to his pocket. _

_Thunder tried to stick his nose into the boy's pocket and William turned his back and said, "No more apple until we take a walk." Thunder tried nuzzling the pocket with the apple again but William just crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, "Tsk, tsk, you know the rules Thunder, walk first, treat after." With that, Thunder lowered his head and nudged William in the lower back with his nose. When William continued to stand firm, the great horse placed his forehead in the middle of the young man's back and pushed firmly such that William was forced to take a few steps forward. "Ah, so now you're ready to go for a walk," said William turning to look over his shoulder at the warm brown eyes that stared back at him. He chuckled as he took hold of the lead and began to walk quietly beside the dappled grey. _

_They were taking their second lap around the paddock when Charles sensed a presence. He turned to see Joseph Laughton standing beside him. _

"_The boy comes down almost every night," said Joseph quietly. Charles nodded in acknowledgement as he watched William leading the horse near the outer fence. _

_The boy climbed up onto the fence and sat upon the top rail. He continued to talk to the horse as he maneuvered the animal alongside the rails with firm but gentle nudges of his hands and arms. William reached out and began to slip his arms around the horse's neck and allowed some of his body weight to shift over onto the horse's broad back. Thunder shied and turned away from the fence but soon returned to nuzzle the boy's belly as if in apology. _

"_It's alright, Boy," said William as he scratched the horse behind his ears. "Let's try again, shall we?" He secured one leg over the top rail of the fence as he leaned out and settled his upper body weight onto the warm back below him. Thunder's eyes opened wide and he stood stiffly for a moment under the boy's weight but shied away again as William straightened himself and grabbed the fence rail to keep from falling. _

"_Don't worry, Boy. We won't ride tonight," William hopped down beside the stallion and began to lead him around the paddock again. He reached into his pocket to pull out the other half of the apple and offered it to the horse over his shoulder. "Well done tonight, Thunder." They took a couple more rounds of the paddock and William led him into the stables to groom and settle the great stallion for the night. _

_Joseph motioned for Charles to follow him around the corner to the front of the old groom's cottage where Charles invited him in and offered him a glass of brandy to ward off the chill. When he bent to start a fire to warm the place up, Joseph stopped him with a hand to the shoulder._

"_I'm a tired old man and not long for my bed tonight, Charles," he said taking a sip of his brandy. "This will be enough to warm me until I can settle under my down comforter." Charles chuckled as he rose and took a seat in the armchair across from the older man. Charles often wondered if he would be as active and fit as Joseph when he reached his age. _

"_It all started about two weeks after William arrived home," began Joseph looking into the bottom of his brandy glass. "I was working with that spirited black bay that his Lordship had taken for Lady Sybil. I was working with Ned to train him as well as the horse but I was having trouble with both of them. Ned was all thumbs and elbows around anything that was larger than he was and the poor horse never really knew which end was up when Ned was around. Then suddenly, we came down one morning and the bay took the bit and the bridle just as sweet as you please. Same thing happened two weeks later with the blanket and the saddle."_

_Charles offered the man another drink but Joseph shook his head no and continued with his story._

"_I was laying in bed one night when I heard the paddock gate squeaking and thought that Ned or one of the other boys had left it open. When I came down, I found William riding the bay in the paddock. That boy has a natural talent, Charles."_

"_His father was a groom and William grew up as a stable boy before coming to Downton," said Charles quietly. _

"_Why is it he came as a footman instead of a stable boy?" asked Joseph._

"_I think it was his mother, she wanted more for him than a stable boy's wages and a bed in the hayloft," replied Charles with a lift of his brow._

"_I can understand that," said Joseph with a wry grin. "A mother always wants more for her child but with that boy's talent, it wouldn't have been long for him to make head stable boy or even assistant groomsman. I could use a couple like him right now," laughed Joseph in response to Charles look of surprise. _

-o O o-

"Surely you're not going to send him down to the stables," exclaimed Elsie turning to look at him over her shoulder.

"Not to worry, my love," he said kissing her behind her ear. "It will be William's choice when it comes to something like that."

"Promise?" she said quietly as she pouted against his forearm where she rested her head.

"I promise," he nuzzled her neck as his other hand gently caressed her hip, "and I have a plan."

"A plan?" she squeaked as he drifted his hand from her hip to her breast.

"All will be revealed," he paused to kiss and nip her shoulder blade, running his free hand along her spine and over her hip as he pulled her against his lap. "_After_…you've taken care of this little problem you raised."

She could feel his full arousal pressing against her bottom causing her to wiggle a bit with her own excitement. Charles pushed her nightgown up around her waist and reached down to rest her leg atop his so that he could quietly make love to her as they began to hear the rustlings and footsteps of the other staff members passing their bedroom door on their way downstairs to breakfast.

-o O o-

"Breakfast has been cleared!" exclaimed Mrs. Patmore over her shoulder as she heard someone opening and closing cupboard doors behind her.

"Be that as it may, Mrs. Patmore," came Charles resonant voice from behind her, "I would like to have a word if you don't mind." She turned to face him and was surprised when he took a step back and raised his hands as if to ward her off. She looked down and laughed as she laid the large butcher's knife on top of her work table.

"It helps get the message across," she chuckled, "especially with the younger members of staff."

"It gets the message across to the older members of staff just as well," he said with a small smile. "The Christmas Hunt is in a fortnight and I'd like to have you and Daisy in to discuss staffing for the dinner parties. Would you be available around eleven o'clock?"

Mrs. Patmore checked her menus and consulted her books but nodded affirmatively, "I think we can fit that in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Patmore," said Charles graciously bowing his head slightly in her direction.

"Look in the breadbox," Mrs. Patmore said over her shoulder as she turned back to her stove.

"Pardon?"

"I think there's the end of a loaf from breakfast and there's a pot of fresh marmalade in the coldbox. I'll bring the tea to Mrs. Carson's parlor as soon as the kettle boils."

"Mrs. Patmore?" Charles waited until she turned to look at him. "Thank you."

"Oh, go on with you!" she said blushing at the earnestness in his gaze.

-o O o-

They had gathered around the large table in the servants' dining room – Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, Anna, Mrs. Carson, Andy, Tobias and William - when they heard a soft knocking on the back door.

"Andy, would you see to that?" commanded Charles from his place at the head of the table. They all waited as Andy and another boy meekly entered the room and stood at the foot of the table. "This is Ned Jameson. He's one of stable boys on Mr. Laughton's staff. Word is you'd like to try your hand as hall boy, Mr. Jameson." Charles quirked an eyebrow as the boy looked up hopefully and quickly nodded his head. Andy's jaw dropped as he looked at his friend and then turned to look at Mr. Carson.

"Not to worry, Andy, you're not being replaced," Charles assured him. "You're to move up to the position as third footman." A sudden burst of chatter came from Daisy, William and Tobias as they congratulated Andy on his promotion. "Hmph," Charles cleared his throat to get their attention, "This is on a trial basis for the Christmas Hunt and then we'll see where we go from there." Charles spent the next hour explaining the organization and expectations for the new rota.

"Now," Charles said with a firm tone in his voice, "the young Ladies have invited several of their friends over for the weekend which will provide the perfect opportunity to put the new rota to work."

"Will there be any special dinner parties for the young Ladies this weekend, Mr. Carson?" inquired Mrs. Patmore glancing at her menus for the next few days.

"I don't think so Mrs. Patmore," replied Charles with a shake of his head. "I believe that the intent is a trip to Ripon or perhaps even Harrowgate to shop for new Christmas frocks." All the men at the table groaned and rolled their eyes while the women looked at each other and giggled. Charles raised his hands to calm the noise and continued, "We will try William and Andy serving at table this weekend."

"The entire weekend?" asked Elsie with a rising note of concern in her voice.

"If you'll remember, Mrs. Carson," Charles said glancing pointedly over at Tobias, "the last time the Ladies were here to visit, they seemed to have no time for anything except flirting with the footman." Elsie smirked when she caught the surprised look on Tobias' face.

"Are you saying that the Ladies wouldn't be bothered to flirt with me?" asked William looking as though he wondered if he should be offended by the remark.

"I should certainly hope not!" exclaimed Daisy loudly as she slammed the teapot down after pouring herself and William a second cup of tea.

Charles had to work at keeping the grin from spreading across his face as Elsie exchanged pointed looks with Mrs. Patmore across the table. Everyone knew that Daisy had set her cap for young William even before he went off to war. The only one who hadn't picked up on this fact was young William himself. He looked to his right as Daisy sat down with a huff and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thank you for the tea, Daisy," said William meekly. He looked over at Mr. Carson with a puzzled look.

"The mystery that is woman, William," Charles whispered across the table. He looked up to see Elsie frowning at him. "That will be all for now," he said dismissing the staff.

"The mystery that is woman?" questioned Elsie over her shoulder as Charles followed her down the hall towards her pantry.

"All boys together, love," he tried to explain as he closed her pantry door behind them.

"I'll bet he's going to get an earful," said Tobias quietly to William as they stood at the end of the hall.

"I think maybe we should steer clear for a couple of hours," agreed William. "What say we show Ned around and outfit Andy for his livery?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: I admit that I really know nothing about horses or how to do what is referred to in our American 'wild west' as 'breaking' a horse so that he will accept the bridle, the saddle and the weight of a human upon his back. So I've just made this up as I went and tried to keep William as gentle and caring and playful as I thought he would be, especially working in the middle of the night…and if there are any of you out there with real experience who would like to send me a PM to let me know where I've gone 'really off track'…especially from the British horseman/woman's perspective, I would appreciate it and I'm more than willing to revise this chapter to reflect that shared knowledge/experience. **_

_**A/N3: Now we know what William's been up to in the middle of the night…but will Charles survive his trip to Elsie's parlor? ;-) **_

_**As always, reviews are welcome and encouraged…and read…and greatly appreciated! THANKS!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: It's been a crazy week but I'm back on my posting schedule for this story and I hope that you'll enjoy the newest chapters as they come out. We left Charles in Elsie's parlor getting an earful in the last chapter…now let's see what Isobel and Richard are up to!**_

_**Disclaimer: They still belong to Julian Fellowes and no copyright infringement is intended. I'm also very glad that he allows us to play with his characters here at FFnet. **_

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><p>Matthew made his way across the ward and down the hallway to the office his mother shared with Dr. Clarkson. He was about to reach down and turn the doorknob when he heard the sound of her voice through the door.<p>

"Richard!" exclaimed Isobel with a giggle, "someone might walk in."

Matthew decided to knock first and waited patiently for permission to enter. He finally heard Richard bark, "Enter!" He slowly opened the door and peered round the edge.

"Captain Crawley, come in," exclaimed Richard with a much friendlier tone to his voice.

"I just stopped by to speak to my mother for a few moments," Matthew explained as he sat down in the empty chair next to Isobel's desk. He couldn't help but notice the blush on his mother's cheeks as she kept her head down and pored over the patient file in her hands.

"I have patients to check on," Richard said as he strode towards the door.

"I think you should stay Dr. Clarkson," said Matthew. "Since you two seem to be _working_ together so much, you may want to be aware of my news as well." Richard turned stiffly and walked back over to sit at his desk. He wondered if this was to be the moment that Matthew confronted his mother about their relationship.

With her desk pushed up against the far wall, when she was working, Isobel's back was turned to Richard. Matthew was staring at Richard over her shoulder with a puzzled frown on his face. Richard raised his own eyebrows in a silent query. Matthew cocked his head to one side and reached up to dab his fingers against his jawline just in front of his left ear. When Richard continued to stare at him with a blank look on his face, Matthew tapped his fingers against the same spot and then inclined his wrist towards Richard willing the man to rub his fingers against his own jaw. Richard frowned but did as indicated and looked down to find pink lip rouge smudged on the ends of his fingers. His eyes widened in surprise and he grabbed his handkerchief from his pocket and quickly rubbed away the incriminating evidence of Isobel's morning kiss.

"Exactly what are you smirking at young man?" asked Isobel with raised eyebrows as she looked up from the file on her desk.

"Umm…I was just wondering how Dr. Clarkson feels about having to talk to your back every day," said Matthew. Isobel laughed as she turned her swivel chair around to face the center of the room completely oblivious to the exchange between the two men.

Richard stuffed his handkerchief back into his pocket and stood to remove his uniform jacket and don his white lab coat. "You can't begin to imagine how many times I moved that damned desk before we finally decided to keep it facing that far wall," he said as he plugged the kettle in behind his own desk.

Matthew looked over at his mother with a mischievous smile and responded, "I've helped my mother redecorate on more than several occasions. I'm quite sure I know _exactly_ how many times you had to move the desk before she was satisfied!" Isobel scowled at both of them as they nodded their heads in unison.

"There is a purpose for your visit, son?" she inquired pointedly trying to shift the topic of conversation.

"Ah! There is," replied Matthew as he turned to face his mother. "I came by to tell you that I'll be leaving for London on the afternoon train." Isobel looked surprised as she reached up to take her cup of tea from Richard.

"What's brought this on?" she asked.

"I have several briefs that need filing in the London courts and Cousin Robert has some paperwork that requires my signature for the banks. Setting up the accounts and such, to cover my responsibilities on the estate in his absence."

"Couldn't his Lordship bring those papers with him when he comes home to Downton next week?" asked Richard as he set Matthew's cup of tea on the corner of Isobel's desk.

"Unfortunately, the signatures for the estate require witness and notarizing by bank officials, so I have to appear before them," he said sipping his tea. "I'll return with Cousin Robert on the Monday train…I hope you'll not miss my company in the evenings too much, mother," he said raising an eyebrow at Richard over the rim of his teacup. Richard returned the jibe with a wry smile as he stared down at the files on his desk.

"I'm sure I'll manage," she smiled softly as she glanced over at Richard.

"Is there anything that I can get for you while I'm in London? I could drop in to Mrs. Whipple's to see if she has some new fabrics that she would recommend for you."

Richard choked a bit on his tea as he blushed a deep red. Isobel knew immediately that he was thinking about the negligee she wore the first night she stayed with him at the cottage. "I think not, Matthew. I haven't even started on the frock I wanted to make for the Christmas dinner party at Downton this year."

"Is that the bolt of cream satin that Molesley brought down for you last week?"

Isobel looked quickly over at Richard and saw the disappointment flicker across his face as he dropped his chin to look down at his desk. She knew that he wanted to do those 'small tasks' for her and it bothered him to know that another man had been inside her bedroom, even it was just Molesley.

Isobel nodded her head with a soft sigh and replied, "I can't seem to decide on a style for the dress. Perhaps I could have tea with Mrs. Carson tomorrow if you'll be driving out to meet with Mr. Carson and Mr. Laughton for your weekly cribbage match?" She caught Richard's eye and smiled hopefully at him.

"Of course, my pleasure," smiled Richard in return.

"That's settled then," said Matthew rising to his feet with a smug smile on his face. "I have a few errands to run before I catch the train so I'd better be on my way." He stepped over to give his mother a warm hug and kiss before turning to make his way out the door.

"Captain Crawley," said Richard holding the door for the younger man. "I have a couple of legal issues that I would like your opinion on if you can spare a few moments…we can discuss them while we walk to your motorcar."

-o O o-

Richard waited until they were on the front steps of the hospital where they had a bit more privacy before beginning his conversation with Matthew.

"I was standing in Mrs. Albert's grocery store last week and overheard a conversation between Mrs. Beale and Mrs. Grindle…I know, they are two of the biggest gossips in the village but what I heard has bothered me all week," said Richard raising hands his to acknowledge Matthew's skepticism at the source of his information. "They were talking about a widow-woman in the next village who had been left independently wealthy when her first husband died. She remarried and recently, her second husband passed away and according to Mrs. Beale and Mrs. Grindle, the second husband had taken all of her property and her money and left the poor woman penniless and destitute."

"Part of what they said was likely true," said Matthew, "when a woman marries in this country, everything she has becomes her husband's. She can no longer purchase property or enter into contracts, she basically has no financial or civil rights." He continued when he saw the puzzled frown work its way across the Doctor's face, "Her husband takes possession of all of her property and her money and can make any and all decisions for her. I'm curious as to why she was left penniless though, I imagine that she would have inherited everything back when her second husband died."

"Mrs. Beale mentioned that his will left everything to his children from _his_ first marriage," said Richard looking at Matthew.

"That would explain it, if he specifically left the estate to someone other than his wife, she would inherit nothing." Matthew shook his head regretfully at the situation.

"I don't want to do that to your mother," said Richard quietly as he stared down at the stone steps beneath his feet. "I don't want to take away her independence and I don't need her money."

"You will not have a choice in the matter…once you marry, everything will be transferred to your name."

"Then I won't marry her," said Richard with a bitter catch in his throat.

"She will be heartbroken if you don't," replied Matthew placing his hand on the older man's arm.

"Is there something that I can do legally? A document that I could file before we marry that would insure that she retains her independence and her finances?" he asked eagerly.

"No one has ever asked that of me before," said Matthew rubbing his chin. "I'll go by the law library while I'm in London and see if I can find any precedent for such a document."

They heard a tapping on the glass of the window beside the front entrance to the hospital. Turning, they saw Isobel standing there smiling and waving at the two of them. She shifted the files in her arms so that she could touch a free hand to her lips and blow a kiss. Matthew reached one hand up beside his cheek to 'catch' the kiss.

"It's a game we used to play when I was a small boy," said Matthew speaking out of the side of his mouth to the doctor. When his mother turned away from the window he turned to the older man and quipped, "Question is…was this kiss meant for you or for me?"

"You keep it," said Richard returning the young man's smirk, "I'll go collect mine in person."

Matthew laughed as he turned and walked down the remaining steps and climbed into the motorcar. He watched as the doctor turned and walked back into the hospital before motioning Molesley to pull away from the curb.

-o O o-

Richard made his way back to his office only to find it…empty. He sat down at his desk to work on the patient files and found his desk…empty. He looked across to see that the top of her desk was also cleared of files and paperwork. He walked back out to the ward and looked for her across the rows of beds.

"Where can I find Mrs. Crawley?" he asked of the attending staff members in general.

"I don't know, Dr. Clarkson," said Nurse Conley with a frown, "She came through the ward with a large box in her arms. Mr. Smith offered to carry it for her but she said 'No, thank you,' and left out the side door."

"Hmm…I'll be over at the cottage working on the files that I left over there this morning," Richard said shaking his head as a sure smile worked its way across his face. "I'll have lunch over there as well so call me if you need anything."

Nurse Conley and Mr. Smith watched as he walked out the side door and then exchanged knowing glances.

"Bet he's gone over there to avoid _her_," said the nurse.

"Can't blame the man…she likely runs his office down the hall, the same way she runs the ward," replied Mr. Smith with a roll of his eyes.

-o O o-

Richard quietly opened the front door of the cottage and slipped around the door. He first noticed that she'd begun to clean and organize the waiting room and chalked it up to her feminine desire to do a bit of 'nesting' but now he was certain that she'd put her grand scheme to reorganize his private practice into motion. He walked over and lounged against the doorframe of the exam room watching the sway of her beautiful bottom as she bent over to store medical supplies in the bottom drawers of the supply cabinet.

Although she had sensed his presence in the room, she jumped with a start at the accusatory sound of his voice, "So this is what you've been doing with yourself in the afternoons."

She turned with a guilty look on her face. He fixed a scowl on his own face and started towards her with deliberate steps. She backed away until the edge of the examination table brought her to a halt. He continued bearing down on her until she was leaning slightly backwards and then he slipped his arms around her waist and leaned in to begin nibbling on the skin beneath her right ear.

Her breath escaped with a gust against his neck as she laughed and said, "I thought for a moment that you might angry with me."

"I am," he said straightening up but not releasing her from his embrace. "I thought we agreed to concentrate on the hospital , the wounded soldiers and Matthew's recovery?"

She toyed with one of the buttons on his uniform jacket before replying, "The hospital is running smoothly, the wounded soldiers keep coming and there isn't anything we can do about that….and…and Matthew has recovered enough to take over his responsibilities on the estate. I don't see why we couldn't see patients here in the cottage once or twice a week."

"_We_ could see patients…" he trailed off quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Surely you'll need a nurse to assist you," she pouted and frowned down at the front of his jacket. He had been watching her mouth as she spoke and couldn't resist the temptation to cover her pouty protruding lower lip with a sweet and playful kiss. They jumped apart when they heard the cottage door open and close out in the waiting room.

Isobel looked at the watch pinned to the front of her apron and said, "That will be your first patient, Toby Miner."

"Toby Miner? I should really see him at the hospital if he's going to need sutures," groaned Richard.

"He stopped by the hospital on his way to school this morning and asked if he could see you at lunchtime," she said shrugging her shoulders. "Mr. Miner, it is good to see you again," she said walking back into the waiting room to pick up the patient file from her desk.

"Thank you, Nurse Isobel," the young boy said shyly as he reached out and handed her several tiny Snowdrop flowers he had found along the path from school.

The boy grinned when Isobel smiled and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on the side of his cheek, "You're very welcome, Toby." He turned beet red and jumped when he heard the sound of the doctor's voice behind him.

"I hope you're not here for sutures today, Mr. Miner," said Richard with a chuckle. He raised his arm to usher the small boy into the examination room. He cast a withering eye on the flowers. Isobel smirked at him and walked into the kitchen to prepare something for them to eat.

She'd found a small dish to float the snowdrops in and had returned to the waiting room to place them on her desk when the examination room door opened. Dr. Clarkson walked a dejected looking Toby over to the desk where he handed the file to her and said, "No need for a follow-up appointment, Nurse Crawley, but feel free to call around if you need to see me again, Mr. Miner."

He nodded his head slowly and said, "Thank you, Nurse Crawley." She leaned down to give him another kiss on the cheek when the boy suddenly stuck out his arm and stiffly shook her hand before turning and shuffling out the cottage door.

"What happened?" she asked still looking at the closed door.

"He came to see me for some advice," said Richard looking at the calendar of appointments open on her desk. "Do we have time for lunch?" He held out his arm and she nodded silently and turned to place her arm around his waist and walk to the kitchen door. "How about dessert?" he whispered in her ear just before he suckled her earlobe.

"Richard!" she squeaked and pulled away. She walked through and after he'd followed her, she pushed him back against the kitchen door and leaned in to kiss him very thoroughly. "Besides," she whispered in his ear as she grazed the skin on the side of his neck with her teeth, "we have the next six nights for dessert...and breakfast!" She punctuated each of her comments with a kiss or a nip causing him to groan aloud and hold her even closer to his chest.

"Temptress!" he laughed when she finally pulled away to turn the gas on under the kettle. She set a plate of cold chicken on the table along with a platter of cheese and fruit.

"I told Nurse Roberts that you would be seeing your regular patients here at the cottage this afternoon and that we'd be over in time to do rounds before dinner," she said as she took the chair beside him. "Tell me what happened with Toby!"

"You know that his father died in a farming accident a few years ago?" He looked over to see her nod as she took a sip from her teacup. "Well, he said that he needed some advice, man-to-man."

"And…" she trailed off waiting for him to continue.

Richard smirked at her for a moment before saying, "Seems he needed some advice on how to approach a girl that he has a crush on."

"Is it Dr. Kelly's daughter down at the veterinary clinic?" she asked with a smile. "I ran into Toby's mother down the butcher shop and she said that you'd arranged for Toby to start working with Dr. Kelly in the afternoons. I think they're also in the same class in school."

"No…" he said with a deliberate pause, "it's one of the nurses over at the hospital."

"Oh no!" she exclaimed with a giggle, "Nurse Conley and Nurse Roberts are the only two that I can remember that he's had any contact with, I'll have a word so they'll let him down gently."

"Well, I don't think they'll need to worry because it's neither of them," he said, waiting for the penny to drop. When she continued to look at him with a puzzled expression on her face, "Seems he's rather taken with this Nurse _Isobel_." He laughed aloud at the look that came over her when she finally realized what he was saying.

"But Richard, I'm old enough to be the boy's _grandmother_," she said in shock.

"Yes, but you've been kind to him when he's been injured, you've let him give you flowers and I think the real crush started when you began kissing him on the cheek!"

She sat looking at him in amazement. "You must have said something to him, he wouldn't let me kiss him when he left this afternoon."

Richard was still chuckling when he told her, "I told him that there was someone else who had been courting you for quite awhile and that I thought you were rather taken with the man."

"Lucky for you, that is a true statement," she said with a smile as she covered his hand with hers. He lifted the hand to graze her knuckles with his lips and they both settled in to eat their meal. When they had finished, she stood and began to clear the table. "Your next patient isn't due until three o'clock. Your satchel and the patient files are up on your desk in the study and I'll bring you a fresh cup of tea when the kettle boils."

"The study?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You need a quiet place to concentrate on your work," she said as she placed the fruit and leftover chicken back into the coldbox. Silence filled the room again as she set the rest of the dishes in the sink.

"I asked him about the Kelly girl, you know," said Richard wiping his mustache with his napkin and rising from the table, "said she was too bossy and kept wanting to organize everything." Isobel glared at him over her shoulder, waiting for him to go on. "Told him that women who wanted to organize things were sometimes worth the risk."

"Worth the risk?" she asked skeptically, daring him to elaborate as he walked over and slid his arms around her waist.

"Told him they were good kissers too," he said leaning in for a tender kiss.

"You said no such thing," she replied when he pulled back and playfully pushed him away. She reached to turn on the hot water tap so that she could wash the dishes.

He started up the stairs and turned to look at her back as she stood over the sink, "Told him the pretty ones were exceptionally good kissers." He watched the back of her ears turn red as she blushed before turning to climb the rest of the stairs to his new _study_.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: Hopefully we won't have the login problems at FFnet that we had after posting the last chapter because I would love to hear what/where you think this story is headed. Reviews are welcome and encouraged! THANKS! ;-)**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N Prologue?: Okay, I got lots of flak about a supplemental chapter…LOL! Truth be told, I had been planning one for this chapter but was so tired when it came down to cleaning things up for posting 'on schedule' that I decided both Charles and I needed a good night's sleep that night! I've since added a bit to the end here and re-posted this chapter, so that I could introduce a supplemental chapter and you will be able to find that over in the M-section with the others (you know where to look *wink wink*) This chapter has not been revised in any way except to add the semi-seduction(?) at the end. **_

_**A/N: I'm so glad that ya'll really enjoyed the last chapter and the story of little Toby Miner. That was an element that I'd developed for a different story that was never finished/posted and I thought that I'd use it here. **_

_**So now we're back at Downton Abbey and the beginning of this chapter is for all of you who wanted to know exactly what happened to Charles after his ill-fated remark at the staff meeting! ;-)**_

_**Disclaimer: They still belong to Julian Fellowes – except for Tobias (Second Footman), Andy (Acting Third Footman) and Ned (Acting Hallboy) – no copyright infringement is intended.**_

* * *

><p>He turned the lock on her parlor door more out of habit than a fear that someone might disturb them. When he turned to face her, he found her standing behind her desk restlessly thumbing through one of the ledgers. He wondered if there was something more bothering her than just his comment to William at the servants' table but decided to wait and see if she would tell him herself.<p>

"Elsie?" he asked calmly, taking a seat in the armchair in front of her fireplace.

"Charles?" she countered with a shake of her head and returned to re-stacking the books and ledgers on her desk.

He watched her for a moment and then explained, "The boys have been somewhat curious as to the reactions of the women around them lately and they've been looking to me for counsel."

"And your counsel is _the mystery that is woman_?" she spat out scornfully.

"What I told them was not to think about it too hard and yes, to let _the mystery that is woman_, remain a mystery. I didn't want them to become so distracted trying to figure out what _wasn't_ being said." From the corner of his eye, he could see her still fluttering about her desk. "It's no different than when you and Beryl sit at the servant's table and huff and puff about _men _to the younger housemaids."

Elsie snorted and then looked down at her desk with a grim smile. She knew he was right and that she shouldn't have gotten so upset with him. In fact, she was very pleased that the most important men in her life were getting along so well. She looked over at him and reached out to place her hand in the one that he offered to her. He pulled her towards him and settled her on his lap such that her legs were supported by the arm of the chair and he could cuddle her close against his chest. She snuggled her head into the crook of his neck as he turned to kiss her gently on the forehead.

"You're right," she sighed, "I guess it never occurred to me that the three of you would become so close."

So that was it, Charles thought to himself, she was feeling excluded. He chuckled to himself and held her a bit closer as an idea came to him. "I thought that was what you wanted?" he arched an eyebrow at her.

"It is…and you're doing a very good job with this fathering," she said straightening up and slipping her arms around his neck. "I watch you seeing to William and Tobias…and then I watch them seeing to Andy and Ned. You have a gift…for teaching your sons to become good men." She leaned in to cover his mouth with a warm kiss.

Her words took him by surprise and caused a lump to rise in his throat. He looked deeply into her eyes when she finally pulled away, "I couldn't do it if you weren't here by my side, you know. Reminding me that there is a difference between being firm and being harsh…that boys sometimes need extra room to grow." She leaned in to kiss him again when they heard a knock at the parlor door.

"Mrs. Carson," came Anna's voice through the door, "Her Ladyship would like to see you regarding the arrival of their guests this afternoon." Charles slipped one arm beneath Elsie's legs and held her against his chest as he rose from the chair.

"Charles!" she said in a loud whisper, "Put me down!" He set her on the floor next to her desk and kissed her lightly on the lips before crossing the room to pull open the parlor door.

"Anna," he bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement and continued out into the hallway bellowing, "William! Tobias! I'd like to see you in my pantry!"

Anna shook her head and then smiled over at Elsie, "Men!" Elsie burst out laughing and then reached down to sort through several ledgers before choosing two and tucking them into the her elbow.

"Come along, Anna," she said as she lowered her head and assumed her strong housekeeper stride towards the door.

"Pardon?" responded Anna with a curious look on her face.

"I'm going to need your help during the Hunt and at Christmas, you might as well be in from the start!"

-o O o-

Charles sat behind the desk in his pantry when William and Tobias came through the door. Looking up, he noticed that both boys stood with ties half undone.

He raised a skeptical eyebrow and asked, "What it the meaning of arriving in my pantry only half-dressed?" The two looked at each other and then stood to attention before him.

"We were teaching Andy how to wear his livery, Sir," began William, "when you called for us."

"Hmmm…next time, be sure you are fully dressed when you are called for," Charles grumbled. "It took both of you to teach the boy to tie his tie?"

Tobias grinned at William as he explained, "Ned seemed awfully keen to learn as well and we let him have a go with one of the ties from the mending basket."

"Yes, well, Ned needs to learn his tasks as hallboy before he graduates to wearing the livery," Charles said sternly. "Part of his responsibilities will be to assist you belowstairs tonight with the trays and platters so I want all four of you to sit down with Daisy to review the menu to determine the serving dishes and silver to be used tonight. Then all four of you are to dress the dining table appropriately and ready the wine and the decanters. William, you will work with Anna on the table linens, I believe that she has accompanied Mrs. Carson to her meeting with her Ladyship but they should return shortly."

"Yes, Sir!" said both boys in unison.

Charles looked up from under his brows to see that they were concentrating on tying their ties and pulling on their waistcoats to insure that they were neat and tidy. He smiled to himself as Elsie's words about teaching the boys to become good men rang through his mind. He truly hoped that he could have such an influence on them and would be well pleased if both boys found themselves to be happy and content with their positions in the household.

"Dismissed," he said calmly and watched as they turned towards the door. "William, if I could have a word." William turned and resumed his place at attention before the desk. "Relax and sit down, this isn't about the work," Charles said with a chuckle as he resumed his seat behind the desk. William brought over one of the chairs from against the wall and parted his coat tails to have a seat. He turned a questioning eye on the older man.

"This has to do with your Mum," he said with a sigh and continued when he saw the puzzled look on William's face, "Mrs. Carson…Elsie…I'm not sure if I'll ever get this figured out."

"Figured out?" asked William.

"Until this year, things were easy," said Charles quietly, "it was just Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson, as always. Then our marriage was revealed and making the change from Mrs. Hughes to Mrs. Carson took a bit of getting used to…and now there's the _mothering_ bit added to the equation."

William smiled and nodded his head in agreement, "I've been thinking about that a bit myself and I think I have a solution. When others are around, it will always be Mrs. Carson but perhaps when it's _just us_, you could call her Elsie and I'll call her Mum?" Charles nodded at the boy thoughtfully. "The same would go for you, Mum would call you Charles and I could call you Dah?"

"Now that _is_ going to take some getting used to," snorted Charles with a wry smile.

"Would you rather I didn't?" asked William with a disappointed look on his face.

"No, no…it's not that," said Charles straightening in his chair and leaning forward to look at the boy earnestly. "Elsie always wanted to be a mother and so it has been easy for her to accept fulfilling that role and having you call her Mum. When I returned to service and set my sights on becoming a butler, I only ever imagined my life _alone_…never could I have imagined that someone would care enough to want to call me Dah…hmph…" Charles cleared his throat and looked down at his desk to hide the sudden moisture that was beginning to gather in his eyes. "I think your solution has merit and we'll give it a go, shall we?"

"Yes…Dah," said William, smiling warmly.

"What I really wanted to speak with you about is that your _Mum_…well, she's feeling a bit excluded," he said, struggling to find the right words. "We've formed a bit of a boy's club you see…you, me and Tobias."

"And now with Andy and Ned," said William, nodding in agreement.

"Yes, well…I've been thinking," began Charles conspiratorially, leaning forward on his elbows, "Saturday is Elsie's day off and I thought you might find a few hours to spend with her."

"But the family will need tending to," replied William as he leaned his elbows on his knees in thought.

"The young Ladies will be in Ripon for the day so I believe that I can spare you for a few hours in the afternoon. Perhaps you could walk into the village and have tea at the Grantham Arms?"

"That does sound lovely," said William, "perhaps I should invite Daisy too?"

"We'll talk about Daisy another time," laughed Charles. "I think you need to concentrate on one woman at a time and for this week, it should be your Mum." William wasn't sure that he understood everything but he nodded in agreement and rose from his chair as Charles came around the corner of his desk and handed the younger man an envelope. "There should be enough there for a fancy dessert with your tea."

"You don't have to…" began William looking down at the envelope in his hand.

"Consider it a gift," interrupted Charles putting his arm around the boy's shoulders, "from a father to his son. Now, put that away in your room and then go give Tobias a hand with the boys. I have a feeling that Ned is going to be quite a handful!"

-o O o-

The party of young Ladies arrived on schedule and were whisked away by Anna and the other Ladies' maids to change and rest before dinner. Charles could be found hovering belowstairs, checking and double checking to insure that everything would run smoothly in the dining room. Elsie watched for awhile and finally reached out and took hold of his hand. He turned to her in surprise to find her smiling up at him affectionately.

He raised one of his daunting imperial butler eyebrows at her and she responded in a quiet voice so that only he could hear, "Everything is going to be fine, like clockwork."

"And if it doesn't?" he asked with a slightly pleading note in his voice.

"We will survive," she said squeezing his hand.

Charles looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love and support for him causing him to do something that he wouldn't normally have done with other staff members scurrying to and fro about them. He reached out to cup her cheek and draw her close enough to kiss her gently on the forehead. She squeezed his hand even harder and then moved away to take her place beside Tobias to oversee the belowstairs preparations. Charles checked his pocketwatch and nodded his head motioning for William and Andy to precede him up the stairs to the formal dining room.

-o O o-

The young Ladies had opted for sherry in the parlor before dinner and sat discussing the latest fashions for their new Christmas frocks. Soon they were giggling and whispering behind their hands as William moved through the group to refill and collect the empty glasses. Charles watched as William's ears turned bright red when one of the young Ladies smiled up at him unabashedly and asked his name. Charles shook his head and smiled to himself, remembering that this was exactly how it had started with Tobias the last time.

They had moved into the dining room and served the first course when Charles first noticed that William had gone a bit pale. He was serving the shrimp with Andy following behind with the sauce when one of the girls had looked up at him and commented on what beautiful blue eyes he had. William seemed a bit flustered but had quietly said thank you and moved on around the table and then stepped out into the hallway to hand off the serving platter to Ned to take downstairs. When William returned to the dining room to take his place at the sideboard, Charles noticed that he seemed to be tense and a bit apprehensive. He reached out and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a fatherly squeeze before returning his attention to the room.

Charles had William call for the second course and set he and Andy to serving as soon as it arrived. The same bold girl that had asked his name in the parlor smiled up at him again and asked if William had a sweetheart. Charles frowned at the girl's forwardness but he also noticed that William did not seem to recover from this comment as easily as he had her first. He noticed that William began to serve from the wrong side and so he stepped over to nudge him into the correct position. William stiffened when he realized that he'd made such a simple mistake and having Mr. Carson standing over him just seemed to increase the tension in the room. Soon he could feel the anxiety rising and his breathing become shallow. He swallowed hard to keep the bile from rising in his throat and continued around the table to finish serving the second course.

Charles watched as William went out through the door to hand off his platter to Ned and waited a few moments for the boy to return. When the door remained closed, Charles reached out for the wine and refilled the glasses around the table himself. He set the decanter down on the sideboard and walked into the hallway to find William bent over at the waist, struggling to catch his breath.

"Slowly and deeply, William," he said soothingly as he reached out and rubbed the boy's back with his large hands. William focused on the sound of his voice and seemed to relax quickly under the palm of his hand. It wasn't long before William straightened and took several very deep breaths.

"It is your first time back in the dining room and you didn't stand a chance with that Armstrong girl," he chuckled as he squeezed William's shoulder in sympathy. "She seems set to throw you off your game."

"I'm sorry, Dah," said William softly.

"Not to worry, I want you to go down to Elsie's parlor and rest for a bit," he said looking directly into William's eyes, "You've done nothing wrong, you just need a rest before returning to the dining room." William nodded and turned towards the servants' staircase.

-o O o-

Elsie looked up to see William come down the staircase and turn to walk into her parlor. Anna had come down ahead of him and explained what had happened in the hall upstairs. She noticed that he was still looking very pale and seemed to be having trouble catching his breath. She exchanged looks with Tobias and he jerked his head towards her parlor to indicate that he thought she should go and check on William.

She found him sitting on the settee in front of the fireplace. She walked over to stand in front of him and lifted his chin so that she could look at him.

"What if it doesn't get any better," he whispered looking up at her forlornly.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," she said firmly and reached down to undo his tie. She pushed his hair off her forehead and felt that he'd broken out in a sweat. "Come, you need to rest," she commanded and pushed his shoulder to encourage him to lie down on the settee. She reached down and untied the laces so that she slip his shoes off and place his feet up on a pillow. She smiled down at him and leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I'll just close the door so that you can have some peace and quiet."

"No, please leave it open," he pleaded and started to sit up.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave it open if you promise me that you'll lie quietly and rest," she said soothingly. He nodded in agreement and closed his eyes. She returned shortly with a cup of tea and a soft flannel that she'd soaked in cool water. She gently wiped the sweat from his face and then placed the flannel across his forehead before leaving him to rest.

William lay quietly, listening to the sounds of the staff as they worked through the soup and the main course. He must have drifted off for a few minutes for he awoke with a start and noticed the smell of cinnamon and apples from the dessert that Mrs. Patmore had prepared. The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach had gone and he sat up on the edge of the settee, took a deep breath and made a decision. If he couldn't be in the dining room tonight, he was going to do his best to make sure that things went smoothly belowstairs for the rest of the meal. He removed his jacket and waist coat and carefully hung them from the wing on the armchair and placed his collar and tie on the seat before rolling up his sleeves.

He strode purposefully into the kitchen and pulled an apron from the linen cupboard. He met Ned at the bottom of the steps and swiftly took the silver pieces from the tray and instructed the boy to take the crockery to the scullery to be washed. He exchanged looks with Tobias and an understanding passed between the two of them…Tobias would coordinate everything going up the stairs and William would take care of everything coming back down the stairs.

-o O o-

Charles sent Andy downstairs with the last of the wine glasses and completed his final rounds before locking up the house for the night. The young Ladies had retired early to discuss hair styles and dress styles and he was looking forward to an unusually early night. He arrived in Elsie's parlor to find her buttoning her coat and tying her scarf around her head.

"Elsie, love," he said in a quiet voice, "we'll just leave the back door open for him."

"William is fine," she said with a smile, "he went upstairs to bed an hour ago."

"Then why are you in your coat?"

"I thought we might go down to the cottage tonight," she said slipping her arms around his waist. "Mrs. Patmore set aside some of the dessert and I've packed the leftover wine in the hamper."

"I still have to polish the silver and I should work on some of the accounts."

"You should have seen them Charles," she said looking up at him with a bright smile. "The two of them working together, they've cleaned and polished the silver and the crystal and I think Tobias has even left you a recommendation for tomorrow night's service and William has already spoken with Mrs. Patmore about the menu and left a recommendation for the wine. You would have been so proud of them."

He looked down at the light in her eyes as she spoke about the boys and felt the urge to kiss her tenderly. "If everyone is already tucked up in bed for the night, couldn't we just cuddle up here on the settee?" He saw the disappointed look in her eyes and went on, "It's so warm and cozy here."

"I've already asked Ned to light the fires in the cottage when I sent him back to the stables," she said looking up at him expectantly. As tired as he was, he didn't relish the thought of disappointing her so he kissed the top of her head and took his coat from where she had laid it on the back of the settee.

-o O o-

Charles had poured the wine and undressed down to his trousers and undershirt before settling himself on top of the bed while Elsie busied herself in the bathroom. He had to admit that he enjoyed the comforts that the cottage afforded them, it was the walk down from the main house in the bitter winter weather that was his main deterrent from spending more of their time down here. He yawned and felt his eyelids start to droop and wondered what was keeping her.

She climbed into the bed beside him and tried to snuggle but found him sound asleep and snoring. She tried kissing and nibbling on his ear and the side of his neck but that only caused him to turn towards her onto his side so he could bury his ear in the pillow. She pulled his arm around her waist so that she could snuggle in and reach her arms around to that sensitive spot on his back but to no avail, she just couldn't seem to rouse him.

She pulled back and pushed up on her elbow so that she could look down into his face. He looked so peaceful with the furrow on his brow relaxed and his jaw slack. Several locks of his hair had curled down over his forehead giving him a very boyish look causing her to smile and place a light kiss on his cheek. She turned over and snuggled back against him to find his arms tightening around her and holding her against his chest. The soft sound of his snores and his deep even breathing soon lulled her to sleep.

-o O o-

He awoke with a start to find the room dark and the bed next to him empty. He rubbed his bleary eyes and sat up, noticing a bit of light spilling under the door to their bathroom. He opened the door to find her singing softly as she sat in the bathtub trying to scrub her back over one shoulder.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she said smiling up at him.

"Morning?" he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and stretching, "What time is it?"

"Just gone four o'clock," she said squeezing the flannel over her shoulder to rinse away the soap. "Could you scrub my back?" She looked up at him with a coy smile, holding out the dripping flannel.

He sat on the edge of the tub so that he could reach the lower portions of her back and when he had finished scrubbing and rinsing her skin, he stood up and walked over to the sink and began to wash his face and strop his razor. Elsie sat in the tub with a deep frown on her face. Usually by this time, Charles would have been stripping off his own clothes to get into the tub with her and at the moment, all he seemed interested in was getting his beard shaved.

"Charles, could you fetch my bathtowel?" She waited until he had turned towards her with the towel in his hands and then stood from the tub allowing the water to cascade over her breasts and down her body.

"Mmm…you are beautiful, my dear," he said still looking a bit sleepy-eyed but with an appreciative smile on his face. When he stepped forward to wrap her in the towel, she reached out and took hold of his belt with one hand and started to undo the buttons on his trousers with the other.

"I was hoping you were going to join me in the tub," she said with a pout and pulled him toward her.

He grimaced as a spasm cut across his lower back, "Elsie, love, I'm not sure that I'm up to it this morning."

"What is the matter?" she asked having seen the look cross his face.

"My back has been bothering me a bit," he replied as he reached to wrap the towel around her.

"All the more reason for you to join me in a nice hot tub," she said seductively, pushing his trousers and undershorts down over his hips. "I'll just turn the hot water on and you can sit back and relax. I'll do all the work."

She slowly worked her hands up under his undershirt to lightly scratch his nipples before she pushed the shirt up over his head. By this time, the small darts of pleasure from her touch and the kisses that she was planting along his collarbone were beginning to override the pain in his back. She settled him into the tub leaning against the back wall. She began to tease him a bit with the flannel as she scrubbed his chest and arms before turning her full attention to making love to her beautiful husband.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: For those of you that prefer a bit more detail to your seductions, you will now find the supplemental chapter over in the M-rated section. Your reviews are welcomed and encourage….THANKS!**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N: Okay, I'm trying to get back on track but all these 'other little stories' have been occupying my time and I seem to be able to concentrate on only one thing at a time in my old age! LOL! **_

_**Here's our next chapter in the Carson/Clarkson saga – a little bromance, a little 'sisterhood of the traveling corset' – I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Disclaimer: They do still belong to Mr. Fellowes - and I am truly grateful to him for introducing these characters to us – I just REALLY wish that he knew how to read and follow directions…our directions to actually write these ships into canon! No copyright infringement intended.**_

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><p>Charles awoke with a start to sunshine pouring in through the bedroom window. He looked around and realized that he was in the cottage and slowly his mind remembered that it was his day off and that Elsie had gone back to the main house after thoroughly loving him this morning and then tending to his back. He smiled and buried his face back into his pillow for a moment. He finally raised his head and looked over at the clock to find that it was ten o'clock in the morning. He sat up with a start and felt the twinge in his back. Elsie's rubdown had helped immeasurably but he knew that he would need to be careful not to move suddenly.<p>

He got up from the bed and pulled on his trousers and a shirt before donning the old wool jumper that Elsie loved to snuggle in. He could still smell the hint of lemon from her hair the last time he wore it when they'd cuddled together on the settee in the front room of the cottage. He walked into the kitchen and turned the gas on under the kettle before putting another log on the fire. He turned to set a cup and saucer on the kitchen table when he found her note.

_Charles,_

_There are eggs in the coldbox and bread in the cupboard for your breakfast. I'll send Andy down at noon with a hamper for your cribbage match this afternoon. I hope you slept well and your back is feeling better. I love you…very much!_

_Elsie_

He smiled to himself as he set about making his breakfast. Just a year ago, he would not have been able to imagine the changes that had taken place in his life. He shared a cottage with his beautiful wife, he had several close friends that sought out his company and his counsel and now he had a family of his own which seemed to include two grown sons. He thought about the two boys as he buttered his toast.

Tobias was easy. He was not as sensitive as William, he knew what he wanted for himself and wasn't afraid to reach out and take it. Charles respected Tobias for his drive and his abilities as a footman and knew that one day he would make a fine butler in a prestigious manor house such as Downton.

It was William that worried him. He was certain that William had it within him to be a successful butler but he wasn't sure that William knew that. He wasn't even sure that William knew what he wanted for himself. He had his suspicions as to what the right choice for the boy would be but he knew that it would have to _be_ William's choice. Not only because he had promised Elsie but because he needed to give William the confidence to chart his own course and to make his own decisions.

He was drying the dishes and placing them in the cupboard when he heard a knock on the door. Andy wasn't due with the hamper until noon and they didn't usually start playing cards until after one o'clock when things quieted down in the afternoons at the hospital. That is why he was surprised to open the door and find Richard standing there with a picnic hamper in his hands.

"I walked Isobel up to the house to have tea with Elsie and she asked me to bring this down with me," Richard offered up the hamper by way of explanation. Charles winced a little as he took hold of the wicker handle and ushered him into the cottage. Richard noticed the grimace that crossed his face as he lifted the hamper up onto the kitchen table to begin unpacking it.

"Charles, is something the matter?"

"What do you mean? Ah, Mrs. Patmore has started on her fruitcakes for the holidays," he said motioning for Richard to take a seat at the table. "This won't be as good as the ones closer to Christmas but she does make a fine fruitcake." He cut several slices and gave one to Richard before turning to put the kettle on.

"I saw that look on your face when you lifted the hamper. Where is the pain?"

"It's nothing, just a touch of lumbago since we did that work over at Crawley House."

"A _touch_ of lumbago should have healed weeks ago," said Richard rising from his chair and placing his hand on Charles shoulder. "You must be doing something that keeps it irritated." He reached under the jumper and probed the butler's lower back with his fingers and murmured when Charles jumped at his touch. "Hmmm…how about here. Have you been lifting anything heavy, something that might have done you another injury?"

"I don't think so," said Charles with a thoughtful look on his face as he pulled the kettle from the stove and wet the tea. "William and Tobias have been handling the deliveries. I've just been carrying my usual trays and dishes. I have noticed that I get the odd twinge if I reach out too far to pick up or carry the trays."

"Odd twinge? Hmm…any pain down your legs? How about in the groin area? You haven't been experiencing any bladder problems have you? Have you had difficulties with an erection?" Richard fired off the questions faster than Charles could answer them so he just shook his head left and right.

"If you've not got any of those symptoms…" he trailed off rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He looked over at Charles and watched as the man's expression went from a frown to wide-eyed concern and then to an embarrassed blush.

"Umm…is there any chance that…um, it could be…hmph…" Charles hemmed and hawed before finally going silent.

"It could be what?" asked Richard with a bit of a smirk as he watched his friend begin to squirm. "Charles, I'm your doctor…there shouldn't be _anything_ that you cannot speak with me about. And I am _bound_ to keep your confidence as well."

Charles sat down in his armchair with a deep sigh. "It's just that…Elsie has been rather _assertive_ lately." Richard raised a questioning eyebrow but remained silent and waited for him to continue. "She's been rather assertive in…having her needs met." Richard watched as Charles ears turned dark pink.

"Having her needs met?" the doctor asked.

"Hmph," Charles cleared his throat, "…in the bedroom." He wiped one of his large hands over his face in embarrassment.

"Ah, I see," said Richard with a smile on his face, "that type of…_activity_ could definitely be the culprit. It sounds like you've strained your gluteus maximus or possibly your paraspinous muscles."

"What is my glue-tee-maxim?" asked Charles seriously.

"Your bum, Charles, your bum!" It was all Richard could do to restrain his laughter at the look on Charles face.

"My bum is NOT bothering me, thank you very much!" exclaimed Charles.

"Well, then you've probably strained your paraspi…the muscles along your spine and the _activity_ hasn't allowed them to heal," said Richard still chuckling to himself. "Charles, what do you mean when you say that she's been _assertive_?"

Charles turned an even deeper shade of pink at this question, "She has been more assertive in…_initiating_…the activity."

"Is the assertiveness more cyclical in nature? Perhaps on a _monthly_ basis?"

Charles took a deep breath and finally relaxed a bit. "Not anymore than usual," he chuckled. "It's mostly been since she came back from her trip to London."

"Hmm…in a woman her age, my first thought would be that it might be a result of her going through _the change_." He looked over to confirm that Charles understood what he was alluding to. "Although, if there are no other symptoms…"

"Symptoms?" asked Charles with a raised eyebrow.

"Mood swings, uneven cycles, profuse flushing or perspiring?"

"Not that I am aware of…it's mostly an…an _increase_…" Charles trailed off.

"Then it could be a result of her anxiety level."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"You mentioned that it's been since she returned from London," said Richard who continued at Charles' confirming nod, "she's been worried about William, she's worried about you, there have been William's episodes…it's a lot to worry _about_ and then there's keeping a house such as Downton running smoothly."

"What do you recommend?" asked Charles with a sheepish look on his face. "I do seem to have a hard time saying _no_ to her."

"I _recommend_ that you enjoy yourself, man! There are many out there who would envy you!" Richard laughed, "I'm sure that with a bit of… _creativity_…you can find ways to avoid irritating your back. In the meantime, cold compresses will reduce any inflammation or swelling and you could take an aspirin for pain, if needed. Now…I'm actually starving, did Mrs. Patmore pack any sandwiches in that hamper?"

-o O o-

"Good morning, Mrs. Crawley, Mrs. Carson," William's voice rang out from her parlor doorway.

"William!" cried out Mrs. Crawley as she pulled her gloves off. "You look splendid! How do you feel?" She handed Tobias her coat and reached up to take off her hat.

"I'm feeling fine, Mrs. Crawley," he said as he set the tea tray down on Mrs. Carson's desk. "Mrs. Patmore is keeping me well fed and Mr. Carson is keeping me very busy."

"Not too busy, I hope," she said with a concerned look on her face.

"He's just looking for sympathy, Mrs. Crawley," said Tobias with a warm smile on his face.

"Ah, Tobias, I hear you're a dab-hand with Mrs. Patmore," she said conspiratorially, linking her arm through his. "Els…Mrs. Carson says that the cook has put her fruitcakes down to soak, any chance you could talk her out of a few slices for our tea this morning?"

"She's already given up an entire cake in that hamper that you sent down to the cottage with Dr. Clarkson, ma'am," he said looking at Mrs. Carson and shaking his head ruefully.

"And Charles continues to claim that there's nothing going on between the two of them," laughed Elsie as the two boys headed out the door.

"Alright, give over," said Elsie with a smile on her face as she closed the door behind them.

Isobel smiled coyly and blushed, "Give over what?"

"There's something that you've not told me about and I want to know right now," said Elsie with a mock scowl on her face.

"Matthew is in London for the week," said Isobel shyly as she reached over to pour some milk in her cup while the tea steeped.

"Aye, sae you've taken tae stayin' at th' cottage wi' th' handsome doctur," teased Elsie allowing her brogue to thicken considerably. "You'd better be careful, the nurses and therapists are bound to start gossiping soon."

"I think not, I've convinced Richard to see his private patients in his cottage office two days a week and he spends most of his time working from the study in the spare room over there now. He's been so grouchy with the younger nurses that none of them wants to be anywhere near his private practice so I think we're safe for awhile." She looked over to see Elsie fidgeting with several charts and ledgers on her desk. "We've decided it might be easier to just share a bed on the ward…closer to the patients that way…"

"What? Share a bed where…" Isobel shook with laughter at the look on her face when Elsie finally realized what she'd said.

"Where were you?" Isobel asked when her laughter finally subsided.

"I'm sorry," said Elsie moving to the settee and pouring the tea. "I was just thinking about something."

"What are all of those charts on your desk?" Isobel traded her a plate with a sandwich and a couple of biscuits for a teacup and saucer.

"Seating charts and room arrangements for the Hunt and the Christmas dinner parties."

"Please don't sit me next to that stodgy old Lord Brentwood!" Isobel said with a huff.

Elsie smiled into her teacup before answering, "If that is the case, then I guess Richard will just have to put up with the attentions of the _young_ Widow Danson." She watched the scowl flicker across the older woman's face and giggled. "I thought that you might not mind Lord Brentwood if you had Richard on your other side."

"Richard is usually tied up with sprained ankles and putting plasters on cuts and scrapes ," said Isobel with a sigh. "By the time he gets to dinner after the Hunt, they're clearing the tables and he's lucky if he can salvage a sandwich or two."

"Perhaps we can arrange for a hamper? Up in the hayloft?" said Elsie with a wicked grin on her face.

"Elsie!" she exclaimed as a becoming blush crept across her cheeks. "Besides, I'd never be able to…_relax_…not with all those servants and workmen clearing out below." Expecting a smart retort, she looked over to see Elsie staring into the fire. "Elsie, you've drifted away again."

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, I was just thinking…never mind..." she shook her head to clear away the cobwebs and sat up to pour them a second cup of tea.

"Richard's been invited for Christmas week as well," she said watching Isobel's reaction over the rim of her teacup.

"He hasn't said anything about it."

"He's not received his invitation yet, I thought I might leave it with you this afternoon?"

Isobel smiled into her teacup and nodded her head. "I suppose Charles is recommending putting us at opposite ends of the manor?"

"Yes, he is, but not for the reason that you may be thinking," laughed Elsie at the look of surprise on her friend's face. "There's a servants' hall that runs from one end of the manor to the other, one floor below. Charles' plan is to bring one of you down during his last rounds when everyone else will have gone up for the night."

"_Charles'_ plan?" asked Isobel with a quirked eyebrow.

"He really is a terrible romantic and this is his way of playing cupid."

"Will it be worth the risk?" sighed Isobel, "What if we run into Anna or Mr. Bates…or even worse…Thomas or O'Brien?" They both stared into the fireplace for several long moments.

"Elsie? What is the matter?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You've been drifting in and out of this conversation all afternoon. I'm your best friend, you know you can confide in me." Isobel saw a flicker of doubt cross her features. "Well, if you can't talk to me about it, then I suggest you talk to Charles…so this _concerns_ Charles…" She nodded to herself when she saw several different emotions pass over Elsie's face. She reached over and squeezed her friend's hand as she watched the tears well up in her eyes.

"Tell me, Elsie…"

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I know I don't deserve your reviews since I've taken to allowing this story to languish a bit but I'm hoping that you'll tell me what you think anyway. There's actually quite a few more chapters of story in my mind to tell but you'll need to let me know whether to continue at this pace or are we growing bored and I should tie it all up soon! Looking forward to your comments…and I'd love to hear from all of you 'anonymous readers' out there…if you're so inclined to let me know what you'd like to see! THANKS! ;-)**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Shameless plug here – there is a St. Patty's Day Challenge issued here on FFnet and the criteria for the submissions can be found on the 'All Things Downton Abbey Forum' at FFnet – a little something to stimulate a flurry of fun fics!**_

_**Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter – kept me writing through several more and I think we're back on track for posting now. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine except for Joseph Lawton (Groom), Tobias (Second Footman), Andy (Acting Third Footman) and Ned (Acting Hallboy)…oh, and the plotline are MINE! No copyright infringement is intended!**_

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><p>"Double run for eight points and I'm out again!" exclaimed Richard as he moved his peg to the end of the cribbage board. "Charles, you're usually a bit more of a challenge than that!"<p>

"My mind must be on other things," said Charles as he gathered up the pegs and turned the cribbage board over to replace them in the compartment underneath. He looked up to find Richard staring at him with a quirked eyebrow and a wicked grin on his face. "Not that!" he exclaimed vehemently. "Actually, I was just wondering about Joseph. Seems like he's tied up more and more with his duties around the stables these days. This is the fourth week he's not been able to play cribbage with us."

"He is the _groom_, Charles," chuckled Richard as he started to pack up the left over food into the hamper.

"Yes, but he also has a stable full of younger men who are supposed to be doing the bulk of the work but it appears that Joseph is having to take more of a hands on approach in recent weeks." Richard leaned back in his chair and waited for Charles to continue. "He's lost the older boys to the war effort and the younger boys don't seem to be as dedicated to learning their craft these days," he explained. "He's having to do more of the training and work with the horses and I think it's beginning to take its toll."

"He's not taken ill or been injured, has he," asked Richard with sudden concern. "Joseph is healthy for a man his age but he needs to take care and not overdo."

"No, I think everything has been going well enough. We can go by the stables on the way up to the Abbey and you can judge for yourself."

Charles finished cleaning the dishes and storing them in the cupboards while Richard banked the fire in the fireplace. He reached out and took the hamper from Charles and a slight smirk turned up the corner of his lip when a blush crept up over his friend's cheeks. They left the cottage and turned towards the stables rather than following the path straight up to the Abbey. The gravel crunched under their shoes when they approached the paddock rail to see Joseph working with Thunder. He walked over to where the two men stood.

"We missed you at cribbage," said Richard as he reached out to grip the hand that Joseph offered. "I managed to walk all over Charles three times this afternoon. I could have used some competition." Joseph laughed out loud at the chagrined look on Charles face.

"The horses won't train themselves," Joseph lamented, "I almost regret loaning you Ned. Even though he's all thumbs and elbows around Thunder, he's fairly good with the saddles and tack and keeping the stalls clean."

"No surprise there, he's already reorganized the workroom where he polishes the shoes and boots and irons the papers," said Charles with a nod. "I can send him back down if you're in need, Joseph."

"I'm not one to stand in the way of a young man's ambitions but I really could use the help this afternoon if you don't mind, Charles."

"I'll send him down straight away," he said with a curt nod of his head. "Richard, we'd better get up to that parlor and see what the women have planned for us."

"Isobel said she was going to confer with Elsie about her Christmas frock," said Richard innocently.

"Richard, my boy," laughed Joseph, "Take it from a man who was married for a long time, a new dress is the reason they have for everything!" He waved as he turned to take up Thunder's lead and walk across the paddock.

-o O o-

Mrs. Patmore stuck her head out into the back hallway when she heard the door open and close and saw Mr. Carson and Dr. Clarkson brushing their shoes on the mat.

"Here, give us the hamper," she called out from the kitchen doorway.

"It's alright, Mrs. Patmore," said Charles as he approached her, "I'll just put this in the scullery for the maids to clean up." She nodded her head and looked up at Dr. Clarkson who had stopped beside her in the doorway.

"Mrs. Patmore, I hope you don't mind but Mr. Carson has given me the remainder of your fruitcake to take home for my tea. Early indications are that they will be in excellent form by the Christmas holiday."

Mrs. Patmore blushed and giggled at the doctor's words, "Go on with you now, Dr. Clarkson. I'll see if I can't set aside a few good slices for your tea during the Hunt."

"Thank you, Mrs. Patmore," he whispered to her with a wink, sending her into a fit of the giggles.

Charles smiled to himself at the exchange as he continued down the hallway towards the open door of Elsie's parlor. Richard did not carry the reputation of being a _ladies man_ but he most assuredly had a way with the women. He wondered to himself how Isobel was going to handle Richard's somewhat flirtatious ways over the long term.

Charles could hear the boys laughing in his pantry from where he stood in the doorway to her parlor. He raised an eyebrow at her from across the room and she replied simply, "Polishing the silver and dressing the table."

At that moment, William and Tobias walked out of his pantry carrying two candelabra and several of the larger pieces of silver. They were followed by Andy and Ned carrying a box between them that Charles could see held the multitude of smaller serving pieces that would be needed on the dining table and sideboard. He ushered Richard into her parlor before stopping to talk with the boys.

"Ned, I spoke with Mr. Laughton this afternoon and he has need of your services down at the stables so I'm afraid that you'll need to leave that box to Andy for the rest of the afternoon," said Charles firmly noticing the disappointment on the young boy's face. "You must remember one thing, Ned, you are always responsible to fulfill the duties of the job that you were hired to do."

Ned grimaced and groaned, "Yes, Sir, Mr. Carson." He started to hand off his end of the box to Andy when William spoke up.

"Mr. Carson, we're just about finished dressing the table in the dining room, the wine selection has been set out on the desk in your pantry and the platters and trays for serving have been coordinated belowstairs with Mrs. Patmore and Daisy. I could go down and give Mr. Laughton a hand at the stables so that Ned can continue his lessons with Tobias…if that is agreeable with you, Sir."

Charles looked long and hard at William before nodding his head in agreement at the clear choice in the boy's eyes. "Off you go then, make certain you're back in livery by six o'clock."

"Yes, sir!" said William with a wide grin on his face, "Let's get this lot upstairs then!" He quickly walked to the foot of the stairs and motioned for Andy and Ned to take their box upstairs ahead of him. He looked at Tobias when he approached the staircase, "Think you can handle this lot?"

"It'll be better than mucking out stalls, mate," he laughed and shouldered William aside as he moved up the stairs. William grinned and turned to bring up the tail of their parade.

Charles caught the glare in Elsie's eye when he turned to her pantry and gave her a firm look to indicate that they would talk about it later. She turned and sat down at her desk with a huff as Richard leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I was hoping for a warmer greeting than that," he chuckled as she turned her glare on him.

Her grim look passed into a small smile as she apologized and squeezed his hand on her arm, "I'm sorry, Richard. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I think that will depend upon Isobel," he said as he sat down next to her and slid his arm along the back of the settee.

"I think we're going to have to say adieu," she said reaching out to squeeze his knee. "With Matthew off to London and me staying at the cottage, Mrs. Bird asked to go and visit her sister in Manchester for a few days and Mr. Molesley's off to give his father a hand with a few of the heavier tasks around his house."

"And all that means that we don't have time for tea?" Richard asked, the smirk on his face turning to a grimace of pain when she poked him in the ribs.

"What that means is, Mrs. Bird has cleaned out the coldbox at Crawley House and we need to stop by and pick up the hampers that she has prepared before we go back to the hospital for evening rounds. And if you're a good boy, there might be plum pudding for your dessert tonight," she said leaning in to kiss him on the jaw. Charles and Elsie exchanged smiles at Isobel's playfulness.

"I guess we should be on our way then," replied Richard after pulling out his pocketwatch. He and Isobel stood up from the settee and Richard reached to take her coat from Charles.

"Now, your day off is Saturday?" Isobel glanced over at Elsie as she slipped her arm into her coat. "Why don't we meet at Crawley House? We can use the big table in the dining room to lay out the material for our new dresses."

"What time?" asked Elsie as she rose from behind her desk.

"Noon? We can have lunch before we get started." Isobel turned to tuck Richard's scarf in a bit tighter around his neck.

"Hmph…I think perhaps you might have an afternoon appointment on Saturday," said Charles hesitantly looking at Elsie.

"No…there isn't anything on my calendar," declared Elsie with a frown.

"I think that perhaps you ought to meet with Isobel in the morning…just in case something comes up for the afternoon."

Elsie raised an eyebrow at him and turned to Isobel, "Are you free in the morning? I could bring over some of Mrs. Patmore's scones for breakfast."

Isobel caught sight of Charles pleading look from behind Elsie and took mercy on him, "How about nine o'clock then? We're usually done with morning rounds by then."

"I'll make sure she's out of the hospital by eight-thirty," promised Richard as he leaned over to give Elsie a hug. "Charles, thank you for the cribbage _and_ the conversation." He had a hard time keeping the smirk from his face as he shook Charles' hand.

"Anytime, Richard," grumbled Charles as he drew Isobel into his arms for a hug. He kissed her on the forehead before smiling down at her and saying, "You can leave him home the next time you come over you know."

"Did you two have a disagreement?" she asked smiling brightly up at him.

"Not exactly," he smiled back her as he walked them to the backdoor. He waved as they walked down the path towards the stables where Richard had parked his motorcar.

Closing the door, he paused for a moment to consider how he was going to explain the need for Elsie to keep her Saturday afternoon clear without giving away the plan for William's invitation to tea. He needn't have worried though for when he returned to her parlor she immediately started in on him about William.

"How could you have sent that boy down to the stables this afternoon!" she exclaimed as soon as he had walked through her door.

He closed the door to minimize the possibility that anyone would overhear their conversation before turning to her and saying, "I did not _send_ him down to the stables, the choice was his."

"How do you know that, perhaps he was just trying to smooth things over for you," she said plaintively.

He reached out and tried to draw her into his arms but she stepped away from him and turned to sit at her desk. He took a seat in the chair opposite her with a deep sigh.

"Elsie, love, you didn't see his face, he was excited at the chance to go down there and besides, would it really be so awful if he were to become a groom instead of a butler?"

"But you promised…" she cried and looked at him with tear filled eyes.

He walked over and gathered her up into his arms so that he could sit in her chair and hold her on his lap. He settled her head on his shoulder and whispered soothingly, "I promised that any decisions would be his, and this was his decision." She took the handkerchief that he held out to her and sat up to blow her nose. "His Lordship takes good care of the staff he has for his stables. He pays Joseph a good salary and provides him a comfortable cottage to live in…which we are privileged to enjoy at the moment…and he will provide for Joseph in his retirement. I would expect the same to be offered to William should he become the groom." She leaned over to settle herself against his chest and he tightened his arms around her. "Joseph says that he has real skills and talent with the horses and would make a fine groomsman, said he wished he had several Williams down there right now."

"And he was excited to go down..." she trailed off softly.

He pulled away slightly so that he could lift her chin to look into her eyes. "You should have seen the way his eyes lit up and the grin on his face when I said yes." She sat up stiffly and he shook her playfully in his arms hoping she would relax. She finally smiled at him and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips.

"I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world," she said rising from his lap. Just then they heard the clatter of feet down the servants' staircase and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds like you may need to check on your _other_ boys."

"How come when they come clattering down the stairs they're suddenly _my_ boys?" He asked with a teasing smile on his face. He reached over to give her bottom an affectionate squeeze before stepping over to open the parlor door. "Tobias, Andy, Ned, my pantry!" He turned and winked at her before following the boys down the hall.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, reviews are always welcome and encouraged! THANKS!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**A/N: We left Charles and Elsie in her parlor discussing William and yes…it is likely that Charles will have a VERY hard time living down his 'little dilemma'! LOL! Here we have Richard and Isobel at the end of a long day – let's take a peek and see how they're holding up!**_

_**P.S. Sophie – got your note and appreciated it! Sorry to be so late but real life, a new job and preparing for a move to a new state is just getting in my way! I'll issue a warning that this story may need to go on hiatus for a week or two….BECAUSE….I have 'Irish Ringtones' to write for St. Paddy's Day and then I've been kicking around a few ideas for an Easter Ringtones story…which has not been titled yet..and Easter is just around the corner on April 8**__**th**__**! So I'm busy writing…I just don't know for sure which story will pop out of my computer first! Guess ya'll will just have to keep checking back to see! LOL!**_

_**Disclaimer: All created by Julian Fellowes and I hope he doesn't mind that I'm borrowing them for a bit of fun and frolic – no monetary gain from my stories – no copyright infringement intended!**_

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><p>Isobel had finished the dishes and sat beside the kitchen hearth in his armchair with her embroidery while he worked upstairs in his study on patient files. The clock on the mantle chimed eleven o'clock and she stretched and yawned before placing her sewing into the box on the floor beside her along with the wool blanket that he kept for staying warm on the cold winter nights. She stood at the foot of the back staircase and listened for sounds that he might be finishing his paperwork and getting ready for bed. She finally detected the squeaking of his desk chair followed by mild cursing and decided that perhaps it was time to take him a large brandy.<p>

Richard heard the creak of the wooden steps before he detected the scent of lavender that he had come to associate with her entrance to a room. He sensed her presence behind him and felt the firm pressure of her hand on his shoulder as he caught sight of the brandy snifter hovering in front of his nose for just a moment before she set it down on top of the patient file that was sitting open on his desk. He smiled and took a deep breath as he felt her hands slide down his chest as she leaned in to kiss the back of his ear.

"Will you be much longer?"

"Two more files and I'll be done," he said running his fingers along the insides of her wrists. "Why don't you prepare for bed and I'll be in as soon as I've finished."

"Alright," she said tightening her arms slightly around his neck. "Don't be long." She started to turn and walk towards the door when he tugged on her hand.

"Take this with you," he said softly, holding up the snifter of brandy, "I'd rather share it with you later." He turned her hand over so that he could kiss the inside of her wrist before placing her fingers around the glass. He chuckled as he watched her walk across the hall, humming to herself as she went.

-o O o-

He found her sitting at the head of the bed, braiding her hair when he finally crossed the hallway himself. He pulled his jumper off over his head as he walked to the wardrobe to hang up his trousers. He noticed that she had laid out his pyjamas and dressing gown at the foot of the bed and she watched quietly while he finished undressing. He pulled on his pyjama trousers and sat on the edge of the bed to button up the shirt. Neither felt the need to fill the silences when they were together anymore but he sensed that she had something on her mind and turned to stretch out beside her on top of the bed.

"Talk to me, Belle," he said as he put one arm behind his head and placed a comforting hand on her knee.

She smiled over at him and shook her head slightly, "Am I that transparent?"

"No, I think I'm just getting better at reading my Isobel," he laughed and swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand and place another log on the fire. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Isobel stood to pull back the bed clothes and remove her dressing gown as he climbed into the other side of the bed. "I'm not really sure how to approach this," she said with reluctance. "I was just wondering if perhaps Charles has said anything to you lately."

"About…" he trailed off, waiting for her to continue.

"About Elsie," she said quietly, "about he and Elsie…and their relationship?" She grimaced slightly as she looked over at him hoping that he wouldn't become angry with her for prying. He looked at her quizzically and she continued when he didn't say anything, "She was so distracted this afternoon when I went for tea. She didn't really want to say anything but I finally wormed it out of her. She thinks that Charles has…gone off of her."

"What?" he exclaimed looking at her in surprise. "Gone off? Whatever makes her think that?"

"You have to promise me that you won't say anything to Charles," she said sternly, "Promise?"

"I promise," he said solemnly rolling his eyes and holding up his right hand in pledge.

She glared at his insolence for a moment before continuing, "Well…it seems that Charles has…well, he hasn't…how can I put this…."

"I'm a doctor and you're a nurse, we should be able to discuss this without resorting to euphemisms!"

"It seems that Charles doesn't want to make love to her as often as he used to!" she blurted out, crossing her arms over her chest and throwing herself back onto the pillows in a huff. Richard smirked at her and finally burst out laughing as he rolled over to reach across her and lift the brandy snifter off the bedside table. "Richard! It's not funny, Elsie was feeling very hurt this afternoon."

"I'm not laughing at Elsie, ma Belle," he said taking a sip of brandy and handing her the snifter. I'm laughing at their lack of communication."

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning so that he could put his arm around her shoulders and she settled her head into the crook of his neck. He began to absentmindedly rub his hand gently up and down her back causing her to smile and snuggle a bit closer.

"According to Charles, Elsie has been a bit more…_in the mood_ than usual."

"I would think that Charles would appreciate her…receptiveness," said Isobel with a giggle. Richard chuckled before taking the snifter from her and setting it back on the bedside table.

"He does appreciate her receptiveness, it's her sudden assertiveness that has him worried," said Richard. She raised her head up to look at him and he explained what Charles had shared with him earlier in the day.

"And did you give Charles any advice?" she asked with a slight smirk on her face.

"I told him that I thought it could either be caused by stress or by the fact that she was going through the change but that he ought to relax and enjoy it while it lasts…oomph!" his breath expelled in a gust when she smacked him on the chest.

"Enjoy it while it lasts?" she exclaimed, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"As a woman moves beyond her childbearing years," he began.

"Men! Why is it that you always want to define us by our ability to have children?" Isobel huffed and sat up straight in the bed next to him. He tried to interrupt but she spoke right over top of him, "First we are considered children until we reach the age where we start our cycles, when we are defined as young ladies. Then we are women of childbearing years until we start to go through the change. Then we are seen as shrews and harpies before finally becoming old crones!"

"Belle! You know that is not what I meant!" he all but shouted to get her attention.

"I should hope not!" she shrugged her shoulders and tossed her head.

"It's just that in my experience, a woman becomes less interested in the advances of her husband as she gets closer to menopause."

"In your experience?" she raised an eyebrow at him, "And how many women have you made advances to that were going through menopause?"

He shook his head in a bit of frustration, "Many of the men in this village have reported that their wives become disagreeable in temperament and disinterested in making love…"

"So you have assumed that a woman's desire for her man diminishes over time. I've been through the change but it doesn't seem to have dampened my desire for you," she said with flashing eyes and a firm set to her jaw.

"But you have to admit that our situation is different than Charles and Elsie's," he said with a deep sigh.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she pouted, resisting his attempts to pull her down to lie beside him.

"Isobel," he said calmly as he sat up and leaned back against the headboard and tried again to get her attention. "Isobel Eileen Crawley!" She turned her head to look at him in surprise. "Come here!" He tried to hold onto the scowl that had come to his face but found it slipping when he saw the hurt look on her face. He opened his arms and smiled softly as she leaned over to settle herself against his chest.

"Ma Belle, our situation is _very_ different from theirs. We may work in the same place but we do not live together and most importantly…we are _not_ married." He felt her turn into him and tighten her grip around his chest. "My sweet, I am not unhappy with the way things are between us…for me, it is as if we are constantly on our honeymoon." He reached down and tipped her chin up so that he could look into her eyes.

"I watch you from across the wards every day and am mesmerized by the grace of your movements and your skill with the patients. I sit across the room from you in our office and watch your emotions play across your face as you complete a patient file or the determination that wrinkles your brow when you are completing the administrative paperwork. I long for nothing more than to reach out and touch you, to draw you into my arms so that I can kiss you and comfort you and love you." She stretched up to tenderly brush her lips across his. "We make love every time we are together, because we are not often _alone_ together. I would hope that by the time we are married as long as Charles and Elsie that we will have weathered the hills and valleys of our love as well as they have."

"Is that a proposal?" she asked quietly.

"No, it is not," he replied just as quietly. She felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach at his words. Now she was confused, he spoke of being married but would not propose to her. He saw the look of self-doubt that fluttered across her face and knew that she assumed the worst. He reached out to caress her cheek and lift her fallen face so that she could see the truth in his eyes.

"When I propose, I want to be certain that you understand how much I love you and how much I want you. You must understand that I don't need to make love to you to _have_ you. That I am satisfied just knowing that you love me in return." He pulled her to him and kissed her longingly. "You do, don't you?"

"You may be right…we may not be ready for marriage," she began by reaching up to smooth a lock of his hair off of his forehead, "if you do not already know the answer to that question." She tangled her fingers in the hair at the back of his head as she pulled him to her in a passionate kiss.

His arms tightened around her as he lost himself in the warmth of her mouth and the soft caress of her body against his. He could feel the blood rushing to places that would soon rob him of coherent thought and knew that he needed to slow down before he lost all control. He moved from her lips to kiss along her jawline and nip at the tender skin beneath her ear. He could feel her hands tighten in the collar of his nightshirt as she drew in a deep shuddering breath. He felt the singing along his nerve endings when she moaned softly in his ear causing him to fumble and tear off two of the buttons on her nightgown in his excitement.

"You are very hard on a girl's buttons, love," she giggled as she relaxed her grip at the nape of his neck and took another deep breath.

"Perhaps…hmph," Richard started at the hoarseness of his voice and took a moment to clear his throat and clear his mind, "you could…" She reached down to finish undoing the buttons and slowly lifted the gown over her head reveling in the fact that his hands trembled where they rested upon her thighs. It felt empowering to know that she was the one that could bring him to such a state of excitement.

"See something you like?" she asked coyly. She reached out to undo the buttons on his pyjama shirt and felt his heart pounding against his chest.

"Hmph…several somethings that I would like."

His skin felt warm under her touch as she slowly ran her hands along his ribs. She watched his eyes flutter closed when her fingers paused to massage his nipples.

"I wouldn't want to make any _assumptions_ about what you might desire tonight," she leaned in to whisper huskily in his ear. Her hands finished their journey over his shoulders to push his pyjama shirt down and off his arms. Her train of thought was promptly derailed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head to take one of her nipples into his mouth. Her back arched reflexively as a soft moan escaped her lips. He raised his head to look deeply into her eyes and knew for certain that they reflected the love and desire that he felt for her.

"I agree, ma belle," his desire evident in his raspy voice, "we should always talk openly instead of jumping to conclusions."

He quickly turned so that he could lower her to the bed beside him and began to caress her hip as he kissed his way along her collarbone. He his grip tightened on her hip as he drew her against him so that she could _feel_ how much he desired her. The brush of his arousal against her hip brought a yearning ache to her center.

"Does that mean that you _desire_ to make love to me?" she murmured in his ear. The sound of her voice sent shivers down his spine and he pulled back to look at her.

"Yes, I want you more than words can say." He covered her mouth in a passionate kiss as she wrapped her legs around his waist and made the sweetest love to him that he had ever experienced.

He lay curled around her afterwards as they both waited for the heavy breathing to dissipate and their pulses to return to normal. Isobel began to giggle and was soon laughing in his arms.

"Laughing after a man has finished making love to you could put a dent in his ego," he said with a mock pout.

She turned in his arms to tease him by mirroring his pout and kissed him on the corner of the mouth. "You may not have to make love to me in order to _have_ me, love," she said with a wicked grin on her face, "but I am very satisfied when you do!"

"Are you?" He reached out and drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Oh, Richard," she sighed and drew the covers up over them. "I love you very deeply and I am prepared to answer your proposal…whenever you are ready to extend it." A huge yawn overtook her and she nestled her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too, Isobel." Richard kissed her forehead and whispered, "Perhaps that will be sooner than you think." The only other sound in the room was the sound of her soft snores as his own eyes slid closed and he drifted off to sleep.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: As always...your reviews are part of what keeps us going! Thanks!**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: I know that you've all waited very patiently for me to get back on the writing wagon – don't know if I'm quite there yet but I have finished this chapter of the story and wanted to post it for what I hope will be ya'lls enjoyment! ;-)**_

_**Disclaimer: It was hard to finish this chapter because they kept having to run back to Ealing Studios to work on Series 3…which also means they still belong to Fellowes and I'm still not making any money off them. And there is still no copyright infringement intended.**_

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><p>William stomped his boots off on the mat at the backdoor and paused a moment to take stock of the lovely smells coming from the kitchen. He looked up as he started down the corridor and noticed her parlor door standing ajar. He smiled to himself knowing that his adopted mum was sitting on the other side waiting to <em>hear<em> that he'd survived another morning down at the stables with Mr. Laughton.

He decided to humour her by calling out to the cook, "Morning, Mrs. Patmore! Breakfast smells wonderful!" Daisy appeared in the kitchen doorway and immediately began to give him short shrift for not wearing the woolen scarf that she had knit for him. She followed him down the corridor as he peeled of his coat and cap and hung them on the hooks below the stairs.

"I've a half day off tomorrow, William," said Daisy hopefully.

"That's nice," replied William, "Have you any plans for the day?"

"I thought maybe you and I could walk in to the village together."

William looked over Daisy's head to see Mr. Carson in the doorway of his pantry giving him a very pointed look. He nodded his head almost imperceptibly and then placed a gentle hand on Daisy's shoulder.

"Daisy," he paused to glance towards her pantry door and then chose his words carefully, knowing that she would hear them all. "I can walk in to the village with you but I have a previous commitment at Crawley House so I won't be able to spend the afternoon with you." His heart wrenched when he saw the disappointment in her eyes. It was a feeling he was unfamiliar with and all he could think of was finding a way to make her feel better. "We could have some music on the piano after dinner tonight, if you'd like?" His heart soared when she beamed up at him.

"That would be nice, William," she said shyly. They both jumped at the sound of Mrs. Patmore's voice calling out that breakfast was served.

Charles watched and smiled as William bowed slightly and offered his elbow to Daisy to escort her into the servants' dining room. Destiny in the making he thought to himself. He knocked lightly on her parlor door and walked in to find Elsie nervously chewing her bottom lip. She gave him a stiff smile and began to tidy her desk. He decided to close the door so they could talk privately.

"Tell me," he teased her with a smile as he sat on the edge of her desk. Even in this position, he towered over her and she had to lean back in her chair to comfortably look up at him.

"It's nothing."

He leaned over to grasp her by the elbows and draw her up and out of her chair. He led her to stand between his knees so that he could cuddle her against his chest. She slipped her arms beneath his jacket and settled her cheek against his chest. He planted a kiss on top of her head and she felt the rumble against her cheek when he started to speak.

"It's not _nothing_, when it causes you to chew on your beautiful lip."

"Perhaps you should kiss it and make it better," she said with a playful smirk. He leaned down to kiss her softly and run his tongue soothingly across her lower lip. He felt her lips part in invitation but he pulled back to look down at her.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to," he said, playfully smacking her bottom. "Trying to distract me." They both laughed as she snuggled deeper into his arms.

"It really is nothing. I was just thinking that you were right and I might be wrong." She felt the rumble of his laughter and smiled to herself.

"You'll have to explain the logic behind that," he chuckled as he stood up and pulled down on his waistcoat to straighten it.

Elsie stood back and reached up to smooth his collar and tie. "What is there to explain? I said you were right." She lifted his arm and settled it around her shoulders as they strolled towards her parlor door.

"Right about what? And if I'm_ right_, how is it that you only _might_ be wrong?"

She stayed his arm as he reached out to open the door. "About William...he does seem much happier...more settled within himself, since he has been spending more of his time with Joseph and the horses."

"There's still time," he said soothingly, "he may still choose the house over the stables." He tightened his arm around her shoulders. "Daisy may have an influence on his decision."

She smiled up at him, "You heard?"

"I did."

"Though it would likely be easier, married to the groomsman than to the butler," she said with a shrug.

Charles stiffened a bit, "Has it been so very hard being married to the butler?"

"It hasn't always been easy for us," she said cocking an eyebrow at him. "They are so young and what about the bairns? His Lordship accepted our marriage easily because we had already proven it would not interfere...and because we weren't likely to be starting a family."

He leaned down and placed a kiss at her temple to acknowledge the one regret that weighed heavy on both their hearts. "You don't know that Elsie," he whispered against her hair. "Besides, by the time the _bairns_ come along, they'll have Grannie Elsie and Grand-Dah Charles to give them a hand."

"I don't think I'm ready to be called Grannie quite yet," she said with a playful thump to his chest. "Besides, Daisy can't seem to pin him down...do you know anything about this previous engagement that William has at Crawley House on Saturday afternoon? Isobel hasn't mentioned it."

Charles shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I've no idea," he said innocently and ushered her out the parlor door ahead of him so that he could enjoy the view as she walked down the hall. Just before they reached the entrance to the servants' dining room, he reached out and stopped her with a hand to her hip. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "You would make a very beautiful and desirable Grannie."

She turned her head to kiss his cheek and responded softly, "Perhaps I will let you prove that to me after the family has gone to bed this evening." She patted his hand on her hip and continued into the dining room, leaving him standing in the hall. "Good morning, Mrs. Patmore."

Charles watched her walk into the dining room and his hand absentmindedly rubbed the tender spot on his lower back. He shook his head in wonder at how she so easily manipulated him these days. He gave a small snort of laughter at his predicament and then followed behind her to take his seat at the table.

The chatter around the table grew in volume after he had finished serving the porridge and he took the opportunity to give William another pointed looked as he inclined his head towards Elsie. William mouthed the word later at him in response and Charles gave him a glare to indicate that he'd better get the task done…and _soon_. The bells began to ring on the board behind him, followed by the scrape of chairs as ladies' maids and hallboys stood to go about their assigned tasks.

Elsie rose from her chair and turned towards the door when the sound of William's voice came to her, "Mrs. Carson, might I have a word?"

"I'll be in my parlor," she paused for a moment to respond before continuing on down the hallway. William scrambled up from his chair to follow her.

-o O o-

It had been a very busy albeit uneventful day. It had been determined that the young ladies would stay overnight in Ripon and so Elsie had been busy checking that cases were packed and reservations were made at an appropriate establishment. He'd spoken to her briefly when she asked to use the telephone in his office to make the reservations but otherwise, their day had been spent passing each other with nods or brief greetings. She had rolled her eyes at him once when he began to speak and was interrupted by the sound of her Ladyship's voice calling out from the library he had just departed.

He finished locking up and deposited the two sherry glasses he'd found in the front parlor in the scullery and went to knock on her door. He let himself in without waiting for a response and turned towards her settee in the hopes of settling in for a large brandy and a foot rub. She rose from her desk and met him half way across the room where she reached up and tugged at his tie to loosen it.

"I asked Ned to set the fireplaces down at the cottage tonight on his way back to the stables," she said hopefully.

His hand returned to he sore spot at the small of his back as he tried to think of a reason for them to stay up at the manor. It wasn't because he was averse to staying the night in the cottage, the bed was so much larger and more comfortable than the marriage bed they had at the manor. The problem was that it had become their habit in the bitter cold winter weather that they only ventured down to the cottage when they felt the need for the privacy and freedom from restraint that the cottage afforded their love play. Charles would be the first to admit that he relished that freedom, if he were the type to kiss and tell.

He knew by the flash of her eyes and the flick of her head that he had hesitated a moment too long. She pulled away from him and strode back to her desk.

"Elsie..." he pleaded. He walked over to stand beside her and tried to take her hands in his but she kept pulling out of his grasp. "ELSIE!" She turned to look at him in surprise. He didn't like speaking to her in that manner but it seemed the only way to get her attention. "Elsie, please, tell me what's the matter."

"There's nothing the matter," she began, "You've gone off and there's not much to be done about it."

"I've gone off what exactly?"

"Me...lovemaking...what does it matter?" As hard as she tried not to, a few tears began to trail down her cheek.

"I've not gone off you," he exclaimed. "Sweetheart, what's brought this on?" He was tired and his feet were hurting so he took a seat in her desk chair and reached to draw her onto his lap. She shook her head and moved away from him. "At least turn around here and talk to me about it." She swiped at the tears on her cheek and perched on the edge of her desk, just out of his reach.

"Alright, what's given you the idea that I've gone off you?"

She pouted for a moment as she searched for the words to explain how she felt, "We so enjoyed…going down to the cottage this summer…and now you don't hardly seem to want to spend any time alone down there…with me." She sat staring down at the handkerchief that she had managed to ravel the lace at the edge with her nervous fidgeting. "Damn! Now this will need mending!"

"Such language," he tried teasing her. He held up his hands in surrender when she glared at him.

"Hmph," she snorted and hopped off the edge of the desk to stand before him with clenched fists on her hips. "The only person you seem to want to spend any time down there with is Richard!" She knew she wasn't being fair but somehow, she couldn't seem to help herself.

He threw back his head and roared with laughter at the thought of the look on Richard's face if he had heard her remark. "And have Isobel after my head? Not likely!" He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and noticed that she stood with her arms across her chest which was a sure sign of her frustration with him. "Now that you've brought up Richard, I suppose I should make a clean breast of it. Richard insisted on taking a look at my back when he was over this week."

A worried look came over her face and she lowered her arms as she took a step closer to him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine," he said raising a hand to soothe her and invite her onto his lap. She wasn't sure she believed him but she moved grudgingly into his arms and took the proffered seat.

"If everything is fine, why are you avoiding me and the cottage?" she pouted against his chest.

He kissed her forehead and reminded her, "I've done everything _but_ avoid you since your return from London, my sweet!" She smiled shyly and buried her face in the crook of his neck, remembering all the times that he'd recently told her that he couldn't seem to get his fill of her.

"I still don't understand then," she looked up at him with a puzzled frown.

"I strained my back when we were working on Matthew's room over at Crawley House. Richard tells me that all of our…_additional activities_…have prevented the muscles from relaxing and healing properly." He watched as understanding dawned on her face which was quickly displaced by a frown of puzzlement and then fear as she tried to slip off his lap. He quickly tightened his arms around her waist to prevent her from slipping away. "Where do you think you're going?" He laughed and nuzzled her cheek.

"But your back…"

"Is being supported by the chair while I support you, now sit still before we both end up on the floor."

She leaned in so that he could kiss her for a moment and then straightened up to ask the question that she suddenly feared the most, "How long before?"

"How long before what?" his voice rumbled in her ear.

"Before we can engage in…_additional activities_?" she frowned when she felt his breath gust out in a snort against her neck.

"He didn't say we couldn't…"

"Then how is your back supposed to heal?"

He pulled back so that he could look at her face, "He said we would have to be _creative_." Her brows knit together as she thought about what he said. "We'll just have to find ways _not_ to strain my back muscles." He watched as a slow smile started to creep across her face.

"So, if we were to find a way…" She stretched herself out along his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. "…to make love…" She pulled his head down and nibbled on his lower lip until he tightened his own arms and pulled her into a deeply passionate kiss. "…that didn't involve straining any of your muscles." He shifted slightly underneath her and she could feel that he was quickly becoming aroused as she teased him. "Well, perhaps one _particular_ muscle." She whispered seductively in his ear before pulling him into another long, slow kiss.

He took a shuddering breath when she finally pulled away from him. "You keep that up and we won't make it down to the cottage tonight." He was pleased to hear the sound of her laughter and he would have been happy to sit there and hold her all night but when she sat up and he saw the sparkle in her eyes, he knew that he could not and would not deny her this opportunity to make love to him. He started to slip his arm beneath her knees so that he could stand up and carry her to the door but she quickly hopped off his lap and began to scold him.

"No, no…you are to sit quietly in that chair while I gather our coats and hats. I'll not have you straining…_something_ before we even get there." She turned and hurried out to his pantry to retrieve his coat and hat before donning her own. He smiled down at her as he pulled her scarf close around her neck and chin and kissed the tip of her nose sticking out above. He loved watching the way her eyes crinkled up with the smile that he knew she wore beneath the scarf.

Soon they were bundled up against the winter cold and heading out the back door towards the cottage.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I appreciate your reviews and please let me know if you think that anything is very far off the track for this story arc…I think ya'll know these AU characters better than I do sometimes! THANKS!**_

_**P.S. I have a Chelsie supplemental at the beta for a reality check so keep your eyes peeled!**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: We've finally gotten to Elsie and William's date for tea! I thank all my regular reviewers for taking the time out of their busy schedules to leave me a review. It means the world to authors such as myself. I would also like to give a shout out to a couple of anonymous reviews who have left me comments recently. And I would like to welcome the new readers who have favorited and alerted this story in recent weeks. **_

_**Disclaimer: I still don't own them and make no money from them. I'm looking forward to September to seeing what Mr. Fellowes has in store for our favorite characters….and to see how far 'AU' my little AU really is! No copyright infringement intended!**_

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><p>"Good morning is anyone at home?" she called out after knocking and opening the front door of Crawley House. She knew that Mr. Molesley was staying with his father this week and Mrs. Bird had gone off to Manchester to spend some time with her sister so Isobel would be on her own unless Richard had come over with her.<p>

"Come in, Elsie," came Isobel's voice, "I'm in the kitchen making tea." Elsie stepped into the foyer and removed her hat and coat and hung them in the coat closet below the stairs. She set her handbag on the bench and turned just as Isobel came out of the kitchen bearing a tea tray and a smile. "I asked Richard to move the chairs and set the fabrics on the table in the dining room before he left, let's see if he's done a reasonable job of it, shall we?"

Elsie picked up her sewing basket and followed Isobel down the corridor, _they're even beginning to sound like an old married couple_, she thought to herself.

"How is Richard this morning?"

"Fine, why do you ask?" Isobel set the tea tray down on the sideboard so as not to risk spills or drips near the fabric, especially the cream colored silk that she'd chosen for her own dress.

"This is the longest that the two of you have lived together under one roof and I was just wondering how it was going," said Elsie with a smirk. She set her basket on the dining table and pulled out her pin cushion, thimble and sewing shears to set them beside the bolt of maroon fabric that they had purchased in London back in October.

"We lived together, as you put it, while he was here working on Crawley House and we got along just fine, I'll have you know!" she exclaimed with a small pout as she poured out the tea and offered a cup to Elsie. She then set about pulling several yards of fabric from the bolt.

"Yes, but that was here, in your house…how is it living over at his?" Elsie began to look through the patterns that Isobel had laid out on the table. "Which of these is the one that you thought would be perfect for me?"

Isobel finally realized that Elsie was teasing her and said, "Richard's cottage is quite nice, it's cozy and comfortable and Richard is actually neater and better organized at home than I am."

Elsie snorted and almost spat out the sip of tea that she had taken. "I find that hard to believe!"

"It's true! You should see the way he has everything neatly folded in his drawers and he even follows along and picks up after me occasionally. Here, it's this one," she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"I have the same problem with Charles sometimes," replied Elsie with a laugh as she reached across the table to take the packet that Isobel held out to her.

"I would have thought that being the housekeeper, you would be the one following him around!"

"I think it's his role as a butler, always cleaning and clearing away after others. A place for everything and everything in its place, it's almost an obsession with him." Elsie took a closer look at the sketch on the front of the pattern and a deep frown began to crease her forehead. "Isobel! I couldn't possibly…."

"Oh yes, you could! It's perfect for you!"

"Charles would never let me out of the house in this dress, not with that much of my…my…_skin_ exposed!"

"Charles was who I was thinking of when I suggested it! Oh come now," she exclaimed when Elsie snorted and glared at her. "I've seen the way that he admires your neck and brushes it with his finger when he thinks no one is looking." She stood next to her friend and slipped one arm around her waist. "And this dress is for him, is it not?" She gave her a quick squeeze when she blushed and nodded. "Good! Then let's get this bodice cut out and see if we can't get it fitted for you this morning!"

They set to work, scissors flashing and brows creased in concentration. They had been working quietly for almost an hour when Isobel finally broke the silence. "Speaking of Charles, how are the two of _you_ doing?" asked Isobel pointedly.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Alright, better than fine," said Elsie blushing deep red as a fleeting vision from last night of Charles in the throes of passion passed through her mind.

"Am I to take it that Charles hasn't really gone off you?"

"As if you didn't know the answer to that one," Elsie retorted. "I know that Charles spoke to Richard about it and I'm quite sure that the two of you probably had a good laugh over it."

"That hurts," replied Isobel with a frown. "I'll admit that I did try to get information out of Richard but only because I was concerned, about both of you. We most certainly weren't laughing at you."

"Perhaps you should have been." Isobel have her a puzzled look and she went on, "I've spent all this time telling you how well we've learned to communicate and he couldn't even tell me something as simple as his back was out!"

"You know how fragile male egos are, it probably feels like a blow to his masculinity that he can't throw you over his shoulder and carry you off to the bedroom like a caveman," Isobel chuckled.

"There's probably some truth to that," laughed Elsie. "Shall we get down to the fitting before my date arrives?"

"Is Charles taking you to lunch?" asked Isobel.

"No, I have a date with my…my son." Elsie stumbled a little over the words as tears sprang to her eyes.

Isobel reached out and squeezed her hand. "It's a bit overwhelming isn't it. I remember how it felt the first time I held him up and said 'this is my son, Matthew'….I probably cried for twenty minutes."

Elsie started searching her pockets and finally laughed when Isobel held out her own handkerchief. She blew her nose loudly and then turned so that Isobel could hold the bodice up against her for a rough fitting.

"This will never work, the collar and gathering on the front of your blouse won't let this fabric lay flat. You're just going to have to take off your blouse."

"I couldn't possibly, William will be here at any moment!" said Elsie with an embarrassed blush.

"It will take but a moment besides, you said he wasn't coming until one o'clock. Off with you, you can change in the sitting room," said Isobel with a shooing motion of her hands. Isobel stood with her mouth open when Elsie reappeared a few minutes later.

"What?" asked Elsie as she rushed over to look at herself in the mirror over the fireplace, expecting the worst.

"It's going to be gorgeous…" Isobel's voice trailed off as she began to tuck and pin the fabric to fit closer. Once she'd finished with the pins and marking chalk, she stood behind Elsie and reached up to begin removing the pins from the back of her hair.

"What are you doing?" asked Elsie pulling away from her friend.

"I think you should consider wearing your hair down in the back. It would be so much softer…stand still…there."

Elsie stood staring unbelievingly at herself when Isobel noticed a soft knocking at the backdoor. She looked over at the clock and smiled. Isobel left her standing in the dining room and went to answer the door.

"William, come in!" she said with a warm smile.

"Thank you , Mrs. Crawley," said William respectfully as he stopped to wipe his shoes on the mat in front of the door.

Isobel led him to the dining room where they had been working and William stopped in the middle of the doorway when he caught sight of Elsie standing in front of the large mirror that hung over the fireplace.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to disturb you," he stuttered, not recognizing the woman with the long dark hair hanging down around her shoulders. It was when she turned her head to look at him that he saw her eyes and knew who she was. "Mum!" the whispered endearment escaped with his breath. He had never seen her with her hair down before or dressed in anything other than her housekeeper's uniform or the conservative skirts and blouses that she wore to church or the village upon occasion.

The sleeves of the new garment were full at the shoulder and then fit close around her arms but the most profound difference in this dress from her other dresses was the open rounded neckline. It exposed much of her collarbones on either side as well as a larger than normal expanse of her upper chest. What William found the most fascinating was the way that it enhanced the length and elegance of her neck and he could see how her eyes sparkled and she just seemed to glow.

"You look beautiful, Mum…err, Mrs. Hugh….Mrs. Carson," he stuttered.

Isobel patted him on the arm and laughed, "It's alright, William. I'm very aware that you and the Carsons have become a family." He looked up at Elsie with a slightly frightened expression on his face and was relieved when she smiled and nodded her head.

"Thank you , Mrs. Crawley."

"I'll just be a minute, William. Isobel, could you give me a hand?" The two women disappeared into the sitting room and drew the door closed behind them.

William stood nervously in the dining room for a moment, not completely sure exactly who he would be taking to tea that afternoon. The stern housekeeper that he now called Mum…or the beautiful woman who stood at the mirror, the woman that Mr. Carson called wife. He found himself to be confused as he tried to reconcile the two women in his mind. Perhaps this was a part of what he was referring to…what his Dah called _the mystery that is woman_.

When he heard the doors of the sitting room slide open and turned around, she had changed back into her conservative blouse and was patting the back of her hair to make sure everything was in its proper place. Elsie walked over to the table and began to pack up her sewing basket and fold away the fabric.

"Don't worry about that, Elsie," said Isobel quickly. "I'll pack that up and have Rich…Dr. Clarkson drop it over tomorrow when he's out that way on his house calls." Elsie smiled and turned to take William's arm.

"Then all we need is my hat and coat from the coat closet and we're off."

-o O o-

They walked arm in arm through the village trying to stay dry under an umbrella and to avoid the largest of the puddles in the streets that they passed through. They finally reached the tea shop and shook the water droplets from their coats before opening the door to the sound of clattering dishes and the smells of home baked confections.

They seated themselves at a small table off to the side where there seemed to be less noise and less hustle and bustle. He handed her a menu and then settled in to read one of his own.

"A nice pot of tea will do me just fine," she said when the waitress stopped to take their order.

"I think we can do better than that," he smiled over at her and then paused for just a moment. "We'll have two cream teas and a plateful of sandwiches…_please_," he smiled broadly at the girl and she giggled and blushed before dropping a slight curtsy and almost running for the kitchen.

"William!" she scolded him, "you shouldn't be wasting your money on cream teas. You're to change that order as soon as that girl comes by here again."

"Will not," he replied with a playful but defiant jut of his chin. "You…we, deserve a treat."

"Don't be impertinent, young man," she admonished and lightly boxed his ear. "But, William, you really can't afford…"

"Not to worry," he cut her off, "Dah, made certain that I could, and he was very specific that you should have a _fancy dessert_."

She rolled her eyes at him and huffed, "He did, did he? Well, that sounds like your Dah!" They both broke into laughter as the waitress delivered a large pot of tea and two cups and saucers. Again, the girl blushed deeply and ran off in a fit of giggles when William looked up at her to say thank you. William shook his head and frowned down at the teapot.

"I'll play mother, shall I?" asked Elsie mistaking the puzzled look on his face.

"No, this is your day off, you should relax," he said as he made shushing motions at her and began to arrange the creamer and sugar bowl so that they could both reach them before pouring out the tea.

Elsie watched him out of the corner of her eye as he prepared and poured out the tea. She accepted her cup from him and watched as he absentmindedly put four sugars into his own tea before stirring. He grimaced when he finally took the first sip and she couldn't help the small laugh that burst forth at the expression on his face.

"You were a million miles away, young man," she said softly and reached over to push back the lock of his hair that had fallen down over his forehead. "Tell me what it is that's bothering you." The waitress brought the plate of sandwiches and set them down on the table. She didn't run away giggling this time but she blushed and curtsied when she caught William's eye.

"That," he exclaimed with a frown, "and Charlotte's not the only one."

"Charlotte? Who's Charlotte?"

"The waitress, her name is Charlotte," he replied. "But she's not the only one, they're all like that."

"Wait, slow down," she said shaking her head and putting her hand on his arm. He took a deep breath and transferred two of the half sandwiches onto a plate that he sat down in front of her.

"The girls all seem to want to giggle and blush and make a fuss whenever I'm around."

"And that bothers you?" she asked taking a bit of her sandwich.

"Yes…no…I don't know!" he exclaimed with an exasperated sigh. "Tobias says that they're flirting with me and that I should enjoy it. Take advantage of it."

"Hmph….you should never, ever take advantage of a young woman or her affections!" she said making a mental note to have Charles speak to Tobias when she got home. "But Tobias is right, in a way. Those girls _are_ flirting with you…and I can understand why. You're a tall, strong and handsome young man with a good heart." She watched him blush and duck his head at her praise. "Why does their attention bother you?"

"Daisy and I were walking in the village after church on Sunday and a group of girls walked up and started…_flirting_…with me. Daisy got mad and stormed off and wouldn't speak to me for two whole days!"

_Ah, so that was it. It all came back to Daisy!_ "Is it possible that Daisy was upset because you and she…are supposed to…" her voice trailed off as she tried to choose the right words.

"Are we supposed to what?" he asked innocently.

"Well, Daisy might be under the impression that you and she have…an _understanding_." She could see that he still didn't catch the drift of her conversation. "Have you and Daisy ever talked about walking out together?"

"Walking out? Of course not!" he exclaimed and then lowered his voice when nearby patrons turned to look at them. "Daisy is so pretty and so kind and…Mum, she could have her pick at Downton…or of anyone in the village for that matter. Why would she settle for walking out with me?" He stared at his plate and toyed with the leftover crust from his sandwich.

"I don't ever want to hear you talk like that again, William Mason," her voice was pitched low but firm. "You are a good man with good prospects and Daisy Robinson would be a lucky woman if you _chose_ to walk out with _her_."

"Thank you…but you're my mum, a bit biased don't you think?" he teased her. "Besides, you've seen how she was around Thomas…all bright eyes and giggles…_flirting_ if you will? Even when I was in the room."

"She was a silly, young girl back then," said Elsie, "she's grown up a bit and so have you. You should know that _you_ were all she ever talked about after you put on your uniform and went to war. She scoured the papers everyday and paced a trough outside the servants' entrance waiting for the postman to bring the mail….hoping and praying for a letter from you."

"Really?" he asked looking up at her in surprise.

"And when we received the news that you'd gone missing, she worked herself up into such a state…" her voice trailed off again as her own feelings began to overwhelm her a bit. "I really think that Daisy fancies you as much as you fancy her. Perhaps it's time that the two of you sat down and talked about your futures…come to some sort of understanding."

"I wouldn't know where to start," lamented William.

"Trust your old mum on this one," she chuckled and reached out to pat his arm.

"You're not old!" he replied and covered her hand with his own.

"Yes, well…old enough! Just tell her what's in your heart. A woman just wants to hear that the man she's given her heart to, loves her as much as she loves him." She noticed that he grimaced when she used the word _love_. "And you shouldn't trifle with a girl's affection, you shouldn't tell her you love her or fancy her if you don't mean it."

"No, mum," he agreed, "It's just that _love_…is such a strong word."

"It is and shouldn't be used lightly."

"Did Dah tell you that he loved you when you started walking out with him?"

Elsie spluttered into her tea. It was an innocent question and the lad had every right to ask it, but it threw her for a loop. "Things were…_different_…back when your Dah and I came to an understanding. We had our jobs to consider and the family upstairs. It will be easier for you and Daisy."

"I'm not sure I understand," he said quietly.

"Tradition holds that being a butler or a housekeeper is a vocation…that one is devoted to their job…_married_ to the job. But things have changed, traditions have been broken. Daisy will one day replace Mrs. Patmore as the cook and you, my boy have choices."

"Choices?" he queried, "I am being trained as a footman to become a butler. It is what my mother would have wanted…I thought it was what you wanted."

She considered her words carefully before responding, "What your mother and I would want, is for you to have a job that keeps you safe, gives you a roof over your head, food in your belly and something to look forward to in your retirement…and becoming a butler will provide that for you. But if you could have all that and be doing something that you love, then I believe the choice is simple."

"You're talking about my work down at the stables," he said looking out from under his brows at her. "I'm only helping out until Mr. Laughton can hire a new stable boy to replace Ned."

"Would that be your _choice_, William?" she asked carefully. She went on as he considered her question. "Mr. Laughton has been very _vocal_ in his praise for your work down at the stables and I believe that he has spoken with your Dah about hiring you as the Assistant Groomsman with an eye to your replacing _him_ when he retires. Is that something you would be interested in?"

"No, I would not be interested," he looked over and saw the surprised look on her face. "Mr. Carson put his faith in me when he hired me as a footman, and I won't let him down."

She smiled at his loyalty and his obvious affection for Charles. Reaching over to pat him on the arm she said, "There's plenty of time still, I just want you to know that both your Dah and I would support you, whatever you decide to do."

"Thank you, Mum. Would you like something sweet for dessert?" he asked as Charlotte appeared to clear away their empty plates.

"I've saved my scones for last but have something for yourself if you've a mind."

"A piece of chocolate cake if you have some," he said to Charlotte and then set about pouring them both another cup of tea.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: I hope you enjoyed this installment and I look forward to hearing what you think about it. Reviews are always welcomed and encouraged! THANKS! :D**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Another chapter done and the Hunt is finally upon us...almost!**_

_**Disclaimer: Still not mine - still no copyright infringement intended...just some reading fun for me and my friends!  
><strong>_

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><p>The last week had been spent as one in a whirlwind of activity preparing for the annual Hunt. Elsie, along with the housemaids and hallboys had been rising well ahead of their regular schedule to air bedrooms, change linens and dust furniture to within an inch of its proverbial life. In the meantime, Charles worked with the footmen, the valets and the ladies' maids on schedules for dressing, inventory of wines and polishing the silver until they could see themselves, late into the night.<p>

With William continuing to work in the stables with Mr. Laughton and Tobias coordinating the temporary hallboys and footmen that had been brought in for the occasion, it fell to Charles to spend his evenings waiting on the family until they were ready to retire. Young Mr. Crawley had taken to meeting with his Lordship several times a week after dinner to discuss the latest business or crisis in dealing with the estate and Charles began to see more and more of his evenings give way to morning before he was able to make his final rounds. More often than not of late, he would arrive in the Housekeeper's parlor to find his wife sound asleep on her settee with a plateful of sandwiches, a glass of milk and a pot of tea gone cold for his supper.

All of their work was finally coming to fruition on that Thursday morning as the downstairs staff scurried back and forth, waiting for the first guests to arrive. They were stood in his pantry, she on her tiptoes working the ends of his tie.

'Elsie, love,' he croaked out, his hands squeezing her hips tightly, 'I'll be passed out cold shortly if you tie that any tighter!'

'I'm sorry,' she said with an exasperated sigh, 'I guess it's all the excitement.' She finished with his tie and smoothed down the front of his waistcoat as he fastened his watch chain and reached for his jacket.

'What do you mean, all the excitement?' he asked as she held his jacket for him to slip his arms into. 'It's not as if we haven't been doing this together for the past twenty years or so.'

'We've not had a secondary agenda to accomplish in past years either,' she replied knowingly and pulled out a handkerchief to blow her nose.

'Secondary agenda?' he queried with a frown. He took hold of her arm with one hand as she brushed past him towards the doorway and placed his other hand on her forehead and then moved it to the back of her neck. 'Are you feeling well? You're not coming down with a cold, are you?' She batted at his hands and pulled out of his grasp in irritation.

'Whenever would I find the time, my dear!' she exclaimed and rolled her eyes. Just then Tobias stuck his head 'round the door.

'The first of the automobiles is heading down the drive, you'd better come quickly,' he said and disappeared just as magically.

'You need to speak to that lad,' she said firmly, 'His tone of voice sometimes….'

'I will speak to him,' said Charles quickly as he leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. 'But he wouldn't have been out of line if he were the acting butler.' He gave her a pointed look and then pushed her in front of him with a swat to her bottom. 'Off with you now, will I see you before dinner?'

'Not likely,' she called over her shoulder and disappeared down the hallway.

-o O o-

The rest of the day was spent in a blur of stairs and bed linens, clothing and silver, tea and sherry and glass after glass of scotch whisky. The last of the guests had finally retired at two o'clock in the morning and Charles gathered Tobias and William with him as he made his last rounds and motioned for them to follow him into his pantry.

'Pull up a chair, gentlemen,' said Charles using his more formal tone of voice. William and Tobias exchanged identical puzzled looks and shrugs as they each pulled a chair from against the wall to sit in front of Mr. Carson's desk.

Charles took a moment to give each of the young men an appraising look, under which they both squirmed a bit and pulled at their collars and waistcoats causing them to miss the slight quirk to his lip and the twinkle in his eyes.

'Ahem…' Charles cleared his throat and reached to the small table behind his desk to retrieve three cut crystal wine glasses. 'You have comported yourselves well, this evening and I'm very proud of the work done by you both.' He then reached for a bottle of the leftover wine that had come down with the remains of the rack of lamb prepared by Mrs. Patmore and proceeded to pour a healthy measure into each of the glasses. 'And with certain positions come additional compensations, which you have well earned tonight!' He handed each of them a glass of wine before lifting his own in salute, 'to a job well done, gentlemen!'

'Thank you, sir!' said Tobias excitedly as he touched his glass lightly against Mr. Carson's and against the one held by William.

He had gulped half of the ruby colored liquid before Charles could caution, 'Slow down, I know we've been running at break-neck speed all night but now is the time to relax, to enjoy the fruits of our labor.' With that, Charles leaned back in his chair with a sigh and took a slow sip of his wine. He looked over and noticed that William still sat with his untouched glass in hand. 'Is something the matter, William?'

'No…no, sir…it's just that I was wondering,' said William quietly.

'Wondering what?' queried Charles.

'Shouldn't Mrs. Carson be the one to be sharing this wine with you?' William blushed pink all the way to the tips of his ears when he realized what he was saying.

'She has shared many a glass of wine with me and will do again,' said Charles with a chuckle. 'Besides, if Mrs. Carson knew that I…'

'If Mrs. Carson knew what, Mr. Carson?' interrupted Elsie's voice from the hallway as she pushed open the door with the tray that was in her hands. 'All boys together I see…oh, Charles! You shouldn't be encouraging them…'

'They are both of age besides, it's just a wee glass of wine, my dear and they've more than earned it,' he cut her off as he rose from his chair and took the tray from her to set it in the middle of his desk. He looked at Tobias and motioned with his chin for the young man to bring a chair over for the housekeeper.

'Right! Here, Mrs. Carson, take my chair!' The young footman jumped up to move his chair closer to where she was standing and then turned to pull over the last of the empty chairs in the small room.

'Hmmm…yes, well…I thought you might be a wee bit hungry after the way you ran up and down those stairs all night.' She reached out and removed the cloth that was covering the tray to reveal a plate piled high with sandwiches, a bit of fruit and cheese, a pot of tea and two large glasses of milk.

'That's the ticket!' exclaimed Tobias as both he and William fell upon the pile of sandwiches.

Charles watched the two boys devouring the food on the tray for a few moments and then looked over to catch the warm smile and the gleam in Elsie's eyes as she too watched over her boys. He stepped closer to her and slid one arm around her waist and gently held her to his side. Elsie turned to look up at him and couldn't help but lean against him when he bent down to kiss her forehead.

'Shh! Not in front of…' she admonished him in a gruff whisper allowing her voice to trail off as he stood up and looked down his nose at her with a raised eyebrow. She turned back in time to see Tobias pile another sandwich and a generous portion of the fruit and cheese into the middle of a napkin which he tied in a knot and hung from two fingers. He then picked a glass of milk in one hand and his wine glass with the other.

'It'll be an early morning, may I be excused, Mr. Carson?' Tobias wore a confident smile but delivered his request with the utmost courtesy.

'You may, Tobias,' said Charles with a short nod, 'be sure that wineglass gets to the scullery in the morning!' William had also gathered a third sandwich and some fruit to take upstairs to bed and was ready to turn to the door with his glass of milk in hand. 'Your wine?' asked Charles as he picked the glass up to hand it to the boy.

'Thank you…Dah,' William replied shyly, 'but I'll need to keep a clear head down at the stables in the morning.'

'Oh no, you won't,' exclaimed Elsie as she rounded on Charles in full maternal wrath. 'Tell him, Charles!'

'Tell him what, my dear?'

'Tell him that it's too much, that he needs to stay here…and rest…so that he'll be ready for tomorrow…upstairs…' She looked up at him with tears in her eyes as her voice finally broke.

'William is a man and must make his own choices, love,' said Charles quietly, pulling her close to him in an effort to comfort her.

'No!' Elsie beat her hand against his chest in protest as she tried to wriggle free from his grasp.

'Elsie!' He didn't like to raise his voice at her but he needed to get her attention before he continued. 'William…you performed admirably this evening…even his Lordship made sure to remark on how well you and Tobias handled everything. He said that his decision on who will take over the management of Grantham House is becoming ever more difficult.'

'Grantham House?' asked William with a puzzled frown, 'I don't understand?'

'Let's all sit down for just a moment,' he nodded at William and reached out to hold Elsie's chair for her as she sat down. 'Much better.' He reached over and picked up William's discarded glass and topped it off for Elsie. 'Now, his Lordship has determined that one of you footmen will be promoted to the position of butler with responsibility for the running of Grantham House. It will mean spending most of the next few months overseeing renovations and repairs in preparation for turning over a portion of the house to officer's quarters while a portion of the house is retained for family use during the Season and for other times throughout the year. With the officer's moving in, his Lordship felt that he wanted someone with his authority to be present in the house at all times.'

'Tobias never mentioned…' William's voice trailed off thoughtfully.

'Tobias doesn't know and I will have to rectify that tomorrow,' said Charles firmly. 'It is only fair that he have as much information as you do.'

'And after?' asked William nodding his head slowly.

'After what?' asked Charles.

'After the war is over…after the officers move out…after there's no longer a need to have a presence at Grantham House…'

'His Lordship seems to think that the war effort may go on much longer than anticipated, and there will be the decommissioning of the troops over time and not long after that, well…' Charles allowed his voice to trail off as he thought about a recent discussion his Lordship had engaged his butler in.

'Dah, as large as it is, Downton does not have a need for two butlers. Of what use would it be to take a promotion only to have to step down from it in a few years.'

Charles nodded his head thoughtfully for a moment and then continued, 'What with Matthew successfully taking over more and more of the responsibilities for running the estate, his Lordship seemed to think that he and her Ladyship would likely spend more time in the city and perhaps even move into Grantham House permanently.'

'And his Lordship would take you with him, would he not?' asked William.

'Not necessarily, son. I would not prefer the city to life here at Downton and I must confess that thoughts of retiring have recently been running through my mind.' His reverie was broken when he heard the sudden gasp from Elsie on the other side of his desk. He raised his hand in a placating manner but saw the glint in her eyes that told him that they would be speaking about this privately. 'And if I should retire, there would also be room for a new butler to serve Mr. Matthew and his family when the time was right.' The three sat in silence for several long minutes while William thoughtfully digested the information.

'Dah,' he finally broke the silence, 'Could I possibly have a half day off next week after the guests have gone?'

Charles glanced at Elsie and then over at William with a quizzical look, 'I'm sure we can work something out, is there a particular reason?'

The tips of William's ears turned bright pink as he looked over at Elsie with a small smile. 'I think perhaps it's time for Daisy and I to talk about our futures.'

This time it was Elsie raising her hand to placate. 'I'll check to see when Daisy is off next and I'm fairly certain I can convince your employer to give you the same afternoon off.'

'I'm not so sure about that mum, he's a hard taskmaster,' said William solemnly.

'Yes, yes, you've both had your fun at my expense now,' chuckled Charles. 'I've kept you from your sustenance and from your bed long enough, young man!'

William rose from his chair and leaned down for Elsie to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 'Good night, Mum….Dah.'

'Good night, son,' said Charles with a soft catch in his throat.

He felt Elsie's hand in his and he looked to find her smiling at him. He raised her hand to his lips and softly grazed her knuckles with a kiss. She squeezed his hand lightly and stood to place a couple of sandwiches on a plate with some fruit and set it down in front of him. He reached a hand out and wrapped his long fingers around her waist.

'You need some sustenance of your own,' she protested but allowed him to draw her onto his lap.

'Allow a man a kiss and a cuddle, would you?' he growled at her. 'I've not seen you all day.' He studied the tired look about her eyes as she concentrated on pushing a lock of his unruly hair off of his forehead. 'How was your day, Mrs. Carson?'

'Busy, but without too many complications' she said with a tired smile. 'And yours, Mr. Carson?'

'Busy as well, and you already know how well the boys did this evening.'

With one arm around her back to hold her against his chest, he leaned forward to retrieve one of the sandwiches. She started to slide off of his lap until he shook his head and maintained a firm grip on her waist.

She waited until he had chewed the large bite of sandwich he had in his mouth before asking, 'You spoke to William about retiring tonight…you've never mentioned it before.' He held up the sandwich and waited for her to take a bite.

'It's just something that has crossed my mind recently.'

'You're not feeling like you must retire…to make room for William…or Tobias?' she asked.

'Yes and no,' he said carefully. 'If William chooses to remain a footman, he cannot promote to butler here at Downton until I retire…but that is not the only reason.' He took a sip of his wine and offered the glass to her. 'I look at Joseph and wonder if I'm set on the same path…destined to work until the day I die and too stubborn…or too lonely to consider anything else.'

Elsie shifted upright in his lap causing him to spill some of the wine on his dress shirt. She dabbed at it with a napkin, 'I'm sorry! Charles…I know we sometimes go for what seems like weeks without much more than a kiss in the mornings but you're not truly feeling lonely are you?'

'Of course not, love! I was thinking of Joseph, I believe he continues to work in the stables because he is lonely. If he had someone to devote his time to, he might retire and enjoy his life.'

'Does he not enjoy his work? He always seems so bright and lively when he's talking about the boys and the stables when he's in the kitchens with Mrs. Patmore,' she said reaching up to loosen his tie. Charles lifted his chin so that she could loosen the buttons and remove his collar as well.

'Since when has Joseph started spending time here at the house?' he queried with a slight smile.

'He's always come up to the house with the boys for breakfast but lately, he comes up ahead of them and has a cup of tea while Mrs. Patmore is finishing up the baking. What are you thinking, Charles Carson?'

'Nothing! Nothing at all,' he said with feigned innocence.

'That may be what your lips are saying but it's not what you're eyes are showing.' She leaned against his chest and caressed the side of his face.

'Really…my lips would actually like to say something completely different,' he whispered as he looked into her eyes.

Now that he had stopped running and had a chance to relax in his chair, he found himself enjoying the proximity of his wife. He tightened his arms around her and felt the familiar tingle run down his spine when he caught the scent of lavender from her hair. He leaned forward ever so slightly so that he could nibble her lower lip.

She curled against him feeling safe and secure in the strength of his arms. It tickled when he nibbled her lower lip like that without really kissing her. Her hand moved to the back of his head when he started to pull back at the sound of her laughter. She stretched towards him to close the distance and sealed his lips with a quiet, tender kiss. He held her gently and cradled her head in the crook of his neck.

'I could simply fall off to sleep,' she said with a yawn. He made a loud snoring sound and they both broke into laughter. 'We have to be up in a couple of hours, help me get these dishes into the scullery.' She slid off his lap and leaned over the desk to gather everything onto the tray.

He smoothed one hand over her bottom as she was bent over, 'Mmm…you really shouldn't tempt a man like that, my dear.' She stood up and leaned back against his chest as the one hand slid from her bottom to her hip and the other started at her waist but slowly rose to cup her breast.

'That road goes both ways,' she murmured, enjoying the attention of his lips to the side of her neck. 'Go on with you, now!' she admonished softly, 'Off to sleep and you can cradle me all night.'

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><p><strong><em>AN2: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and a tiny review would be most welcome! THANKS! _**


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N: My muse has come and gone several time while writing this chapter but there finally came a place to pause so that I could post something for your amusement. I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Disclaimer: THEY SHOULD HAVE WON MORE EMMYS! And they still belong to J. Fellowes and ITV and Carnival and whoever else is involved – I'm just borrowing them for my own enjoyment and no copyright infringement is intended! **_

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><p>"Isobel, would you please sit down and keep still?" asked Elsie from behind her desk. "This room is small enough without you pacing around like a caged animal." She looked over at her friend as Isobel flopped down on the settee with a deep sigh. She set aside her pen and reading glasses and turned in her desk chair, "Tell me."<p>

Isobel gave a small snort of laughter, "I'm sorry, it's just that Richard will be here soon and…" Her voice trailed off with a small shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know, I guess I'm just anxious."

"Why would you be anxious? You see each other every day at the hospital and you've just spent a week practically living with the man!" Elsie watched her friend blush a deep red before she rose and took a seat beside her on the settee.

"It's been almost a week since…we've had any time together now that Matthew's home. And I know it's going to be difficult being here and not being able to be together," said Isobel with wry smile. "I'm sure we'll get through it and I'm sorry I'm being such a bear about it.

Elsie smiled to herself, knowing what she and Charles had planned for the pair later that night. She leaned over and gave her friend a hug just as they heard the sound of laughter and two men's voices ringing down the servants' hallway.

There was a rather loud knock on her parlor door. Elsie rose and opened it to the smiling face of Dr. Richard Clarkson. "Mrs. Carson! It is good to see you!" exclaimed the doctor as he gave her a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. His smile warmed as he looked over the housekeeper's shoulder to see Isobel standing in front of the settee. "Mrs. Crawley…"

Elsie looked from one to the other and then turned to find Charles looking down at her with a raised eyebrow. He nodded towards his pantry and she gave him a slight nod in agreement. "Mr. Carson," she raised her voice so that anyone nearby could hear her plainly. "I have a ledger entry that I need you to review before you take Dr. Clarkson and Nurse Crawley out to the barn to set up the temporary infirmary." She looked over and winked at Isobel who was giving her a grateful smile in return. She turned and followed Charles down the hall, closing her parlor door quietly behind her.

She walked in front of Charles as he stood in the pantry doorway and had no sooner stepped over to his desk than she heard the lock on the door click shut and his hands were on her waist pulling her back against his chest.

"Charles," she murmured as she melted back against him. "We really shouldn't…"

"This may be the only chance we get to see each other the rest of the day, love," he whispered in her ear before sucking the lobe gently between his teeth. He felt the tremble move through her at the touch of his tongue. "Do we have time?"

She turned in his arms and looked up at him, pushing back the errant curl from his forehead. "No, we do not," she admonished but pulled his head down for one last, lingering kiss. "We'd best get back to the doctor and the nurse before they end up down this road a bit too far themselves." He nodded in agreement but continued to hold her in his arms. She absentmindedly straightened his tie and smoothed the front of his waistcoat. "I was thinking that I might have a word with the butler."

"Oh, and what were you going to have a word about?" he asked beginning to nibble at the skin on the side of her neck again.

"I thought that once things had quieted down after the hunt…and William and Daisy have had their afternoon off…he might arrange for us to have a day or two away from the house?"

"At the same time?!" he exclaimed with a warm smile and light peck on the lips. "Well…considering that it's you, and you've asked so nicely. I think perhaps we can work something out."

She stretched up so that she could whisper seductively into his ear, "I'll definitely make it worth his while." She nipped sharply at his earlobe and followed it with the soothing swirl of her tongue.

Charles moaned softly and replied, "Mmm…we may never leave this room if you continue, my love!" He gave her one last warm kiss and playfully squeezed her bottom before nodding at his pantry door. "After you, my dear." He opened the door and let her lead the way.

-o O o-

Richard watched as Elsie followed Charles out the door and almost knocked Isobel over when he turned to find her standing almost on top of him.

"Come here," he commanded opening his arms to her. She about fell into them as she leaned against him and nestled her head beneath his chin.

"I've missed you," she said quietly as she listened to the quickening of his heartbeat beneath her cheek.

"I've miss this!" he replied and tightened his arms around her. "I've hardly slept since Matthew came home. Umm, he hasn't stopped by the hospital since he returned, is everything alright?"

She pulled away so that she could look up at him. "As far as I am aware, why?" She raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing in particular. He was checking on a legal issue for me-m…um, the hospital while he was in London and I hadn't heard whether there was a resolution or not."

"Is this something that I should be aware of?" she asked with a frown.

It wasn't like Richard not to keep her informed of the hospital's business. She liked that he would often seek her out for her opinion or advice before approaching the other members of the administrative board with a particularly sticky issue. Presenting a united front often allayed any concerns from the Earl or the other board members which was a plus when Lady Violet was _not_ on their side.

She felt him stiffen and turn away from her and wondered what could be of such concern. He began to pace, which was no mean feat in such a small space. She wandered over to stand by the fireplace in an effort to give him the space he needed to move and to ruminate as was his habit when faced with a troubling decision.

"Tell me," she said quietly to bring his attention back into the room.

"Rather fitting, given our location," he said, turning to her with a small smile. "It's nothing for you to worry about. It is an issue that arose about the time that we…we, lost the O'Malleys and you were feeling very fragile. I didn't want to worry you about it."

She looked closely at his face and found no trace of disingenuousness there. "I'll remind him to stop by and see you then," she said matter of factly.

"No need, I'm certain that I will have the opportunity to speak with him at some time during this weekend. Let the boy relax and enjoy himself."

They both turned towards the door when they heard the rumble of Charles' voice in the hall. A panicked look came across Isobel's face and she launched herself into his arms. She hugged him around the neck so tightly that he was forced to wrap one arm around her waist and one arm half-way around her bottom to hold her up off the floor so as not to choke himself.

"What's brought this on, ma belle?" he whispered into her hair. She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes and he noticed a small tear escape the corner of hers. He relaxed his grip on her so that he could set her down on the floor and reached up to brush it away.

"This may be the only chance we'll have to be alone and I've wasted it with silly questions…."

"Shush now, my sweet," he said softly and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "I promise you, we'll find the time and the place at some point." He had just covered her mouth with his own when they heard a soft knock on the parlor door. He looked into her eyes and called out "Come in!" Lowering his head, he kissed her softly before turning to face Mr. Carson as he cleared his throat at the unexpected display of affection between his friends.

"If you will lead the way, Mr. Carson," said Richard with a touch of mirth in his voice, "Mrs. Crawley and I had best get the temporary infirmary setup before Lord Featherstone has a chance to sprain his ankle on the front lawn!"

Charles smiled broadly, remembering the winter two years ago when the Earl in question had been nipping at his hip flask before they'd even left the gates and managed to turn his ankle in a patch of loose gravel on the front drive. "Hmm…perhaps I should consider laying in a bit of extra brandy in the front parlor in case we have any hunters left behind to entertain the ladies?"

-o O o-

It had really been a rather uneventful day. There were the usual cuts and scrapes, turned ankles and knees from tramping through the undergrowth and even a case of one of the hunters having managed to fall and roll around in a patch of stinging nettles causing some minor skin reactions on their face and hands. But all in all, things where cleaned up and back on track in time for both the doctor and the nurse to join the rest of the family and their guests for the post-hunt banquet that had been laid out on the trestle tables set up in the stables.

Isobel was sat between his Lordship and Sir Peter Sinclair who was engaged in heated debate with several of the gentlemen at the far end of the table as to the political and economical ramifications of the war. Glancing across the table, she noticed that Richard had been directed to a chair between Lady Mary Crawley and the _widow_ Prentiss. Isobel shook her head ruefully and chided herself for the sudden rush of jealousy.

"Is something the matter, Cousin?" asked Robert when he saw the shake of her head.

"No, nothing in particular," she replied and took a small bite of the roast lamb from her plate.

Robert listened to the conversation happening around him with half an ear as he watched her from the corner of his eye. He noticed that her gaze was often glued to the plate in front of her but when she did allow it to wander, it often settle upon Dr. Clarkson.

"Has Dr. Clarkson done something to vex you?" said Robert quietly the next time he saw the frown crease her brow when she glanced down the table.

"No…why would you say that?" She looked askance at the man sitting next to her, surprised that he paying the least bit of attention to her.

"It could be the fact that you attack that piece of lamb on your plate with a vengeance every time you look down the table in his direction."

Isobel began to chuckle when she looked down and saw that she had pretty much shredded the meal on her plate. "It is not Dr. Clarkson, Robert," she murmured as she quickly tried to think of a diversion, "It is the widow Prentiss, she was in the hospital last week and was fawning all over Dr. Clarkson."

"A bit of the green eyed monster?!" he asked with a surprised look on his face. He had never considered the fact that his cousin might harbor romantic feelings for someone. He'd never really considered her feelings, in the general sense, at all, what with his own house full of women and their emotional ups and downs.

"Of course not, Robert," she hissed at him when she noticed that Lady Cora was looking in their direction when she heard the sound of her husband's voice. "It's just that Rich…Dr. Clarkson said that her attentions made him uncomfortable and he had asked for some advice on how to discourage her." She was careful to keep her eyes focused on her hands as she pushed the food around on her plate so that he could not see the lie in her eyes.

"Poor chap, that explains things a bit," he glanced down the table and then back at Isobel, "She was insistent that Cora seat her next to him at all of the meals. I'll speak with Carson and see if he can't have a word with Mrs. Hughes about the seating arrangements. Seems that it would be easiest to switch you and Mrs. Prentiss…would you mind keeping Dr. Clarkson company this weekend?"

"Mind?!" she exclaimed trying to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Well…seeing as to how you work together all day, I could see how you might not necessarily want to spend your evenings with the man as well…"

"We all have to make sacrifices," she said with a small laugh, "I'm certain that Dr. Clarkson will thank you for it later!"

They enjoyed another half an hour of easy conversation before Robert rose to make the announcement to move the festivities indoors for brandy and cigars. Robert stood with his wife at the main paddock gates as everyone moved through and when the widow Prentiss arrived with Dr. Clarkson in tow he turned and offered her his free arm.

"Pardon me, Dr. Clarkson," he said reaching out to tuck the widow's hand into the crook of his arm. "It is not often Mrs. Prentiss is able to visit here at Downton Abbey and I wonder if you would do me the honor of allowing me to escort you indoors?" He bent his other elbow and looked at his wife with a raised eyebrow. She took the hint and slipped her arm through his as he began to walk the two women in the direction of the main house.

"What was that all about?" Richard asked as he bowed his head slightly and formally offered his arm to Isobel.

"Robert is rescuing you from the attentions of the widow Prentiss ," she said with a warm laugh as she eagerly looped her arm through his.

"And what made him think that I needed rescuing? Or perhaps the better question is who?" he said when he caught the blush that crept across her cheeks.

"I may have told a little white lie at dinner," she said keeping her gaze on the path in front of them as they strolled behind the rest of the group. Richard raised an eyebrow in question and waited for her to continue. "Well, she was fawning all over you and giggling like school girl!" Richard threw back his head and laughed heartily.

"I was beginning to think you hadn't noticed!" He squeezed her arm against his side and darted a quick glance forward before raising her hand and placing a soft kiss on the back of it.

"Robert is planning to have Elsie switch the seating arrangements…he asked if I would mind sitting next to you for the rest of the weekend?"

"Remind me to thank the man!" Richard took a moment to gaze lovingly into her eyes to try and convey how much he would be looking forward to having her by his side.

"I told him you would be ever so grateful!"

-o O o-

The evening had been a whirlwind of a late supper and music and brandy and sparkling conversation until well into the night. It was one o'clock in the morning when Isobel sat down at the vanity in her room on the women's wing and began to pull the pins out of her hair. Her smile began to falter when her thoughts turned again to Richard and how he loved to pull the pins from her hair and brush it out to lie loose around her shoulders.

She took a resigned breath and began to undo the buttons at the top of her gown when there was a soft knock and Anna's head peered round as the door slowly opened.

"Mrs. Crawley?"

"Anna, come in," she called out. "If you could just help me with the buttons on the back of my gown, I can manage the rest."

"Not tonight, Mrs. Crawley" said the maid with slight smirk on her face, "I've strict orders to have you dressed in whatever is in this box and waiting at the door in thirty minutes."

Isobel rose with a frown and reached out to remove the lid from the box when the maid had placed it at the foot of the bed. Anna began unfastening the buttons on the back of her gown as she reached in and pulled the lace and satin negligee out of the tissue paper.

"The buttons…" she trailed off as she turned the garment over to find every last one sewed firmly in place. "But how…this was in my sewing basket…which I left in Elsie's cottage…" her voice trailed off as the realization that her friend had not only finished mending the gown but she must have also planned a rendezvous for her and Richard.

"Quickly Anna!" the older woman turned so that the maid could finish the buttons and help her to undress.

Thirty minutes later, a soft knock sounded and Anna peeked out into the hallway before disappearing. Elsie slipped into the room and closed the door quickly behind her. Turning she saw Isobel standing by the fireplace with a dressing gown over her negligee looking every inch the nervous bride.

"Relax! It's not as if you've never been with the man before," said Elsie as she quickly slipped an arm around her friend and nudged her toward the door.

"Not sneaking down hallways and in and out of other people's rooms!"

"Fair enough," she tugged at the woman's hand and then pushed her out the door and into the hallway. "Quickly now, before anyone wanders into the hall!"

Isobel was quite sure that she had lost her mind when she scurried down the hallway and found Charles standing at a hidden servant's doorway at the end. She followed him down the stairs and back along another darker more narrow hall that she deduced must run the length of both the men's and women's wings. When they arrived at the staircase at the other end of the hall, he motioned for her to wait several steps below him as he peered out to insure that there was no one milling about. Isobel was staring down at her feet and chewing on her bottom lip in her nervousness and almost missed the motion of his hand behind his back indicating that she was to follow him into the hall. He led her up to the second to the last doorway and then turned to face her.

"I'll leave you to it then, shall I?" he said peering down at her face.

She grimaced for a moment and took a deep breath, then nodded her head and looked up at him.

"You look beautiful, Isobel," he said reaching out to tweak one of the curls sitting on her shoulder. "Richard is very lucky man!" He leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her forehead and then turned her to face the door. "In you go!"

Isobel watched him disappear down the hallway and then squared her shoulders and turned to face the door in front of her. She quickly undid the sash on her dressing gown and let it slip from her shoulders before turning the handle on the door and slipping inside.

The smile on her face froze when she realized there were two men standing at the fireplace. There was a long pause as everyone exchanged surprised looks and then the quiet sound of one voice…

"Mother?!"

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><p><em><strong>AN2: Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. I did not have it beta'd before posting so feel free to be brutally honest in your reviews…I appreciate good critical feedback….and praise goes a long ways too! LOL! Reviews both good and bad are always welcome and highly encouraged! **_


	28. Chapter 28

_**A/N: I think this chapter came a little bit sooner than the last! It was difficult to write, especially after the events of this last episode but I won't include any spoilers here about that, especially since this chapter focuses on Richard and Isobel and picks up where the last chapter leaves off...let's see where it leads us, yes?**_

_**Disclaimer: They all still belong to Fellowes (the FFnet and Trumblr Troll) and ITV and Carnival – I just borrow them for my own amusement and the amusement of anyone who takes the time to read my tale! No copyright infringement intended.**_

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><p>Matthew stared for a moment at the vision of loveliness that stepped through Dr. Clarkson's bedroom door and stood in the flickering light from the fireplace. She truly was a beauty in apricot satin and cream colored lace with her dark blonde curls swirling around her shoulders. He was about turn an angry glare on the doctor when something about the way she turned her head away seemed very familiar to him. Taking a step closer he finally realized who the woman was…<p>

"Mother?!"

The sound of Matthew's voice finally broke her out of her trance and she quickly turned away from him as she tried desperately to cover herself with her dressing gown. She felt a pair of hands raising the back of her gown up so that she could slide her arms into the sleeves and she pulled the sash tight before turning to find her attendant to be none other than her son.

"Matthew, I – I…" she trailed off and looked over his shoulder at Richard who stood beside the fireplace rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Matthew turned to follow his mother's gaze and took note of several other details in the room. The bucket on the mantle holding a bottle of champagne, the silver tray bearing the chocolate truffles and the bouquet of her favorite yellow roses lying at the foot of the bed. Matthew's chin lifted as his eyes closed in a grimace and he let out a soft grunt of understanding.

"Richard, I'm sorry…I should have realized," he said apologetically waving towards the champagne and truffles. "We can talk more in the morning, after breakfa…after lunch perhaps?"

"Mother, I hope you enjoy your…I mean, I hope you have a good…I'll see you in the morning, yes?" stuttered Matthew as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. He quickly made his way to the door and let himself out closing the door quickly behind him.

Isobel stood with her mouth open as she watched her son leave and then she turned on Richard with an angry glint in her eye. "Why was he apologizing to _you_? And exactly what should he have _realized_? And what is that in your hand that he will be speaking to you about tomorrow?"

"Ma belle, calm down," said Richard soothingly as he crossed the room and tried to take her into his arms.

"No…no!" she exclaimed and pushed him away. "I came to you tonight and find you plotting with my son! And then he is apologizing for…for…oh my god! He knows…Richard, he knows about us, doesn't he!" It was a statement more than a question. She sank down onto the chaise lounge in front of the fireplace in response to the sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Shh, my love, everything is alright."

Richard took the seat beside her and gently rested his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close and settled her head on his shoulder and rubbed her back until he felt her relax and slip her arms around his waist.

"How long has he known?" she asked quietly.

"Since that night at the O'Malley's."

"Was he angry?"

"No, he was very…_pragmatic_ about it. He made me promise that I would be discreet," chuckled Richard, "and I had to promise not to tell you that he knew."

"But why?"

"Because he wanted to be able to give you his blessing," he said looking down into her still questioning eyes, "when you asked for it."

An understanding smile came to her lips and he thought that he'd never seen her look so beautiful. Reaching down, he lifted her chin so that he could kiss her softly and slowly. Both arms went around her to hold her close until she started to giggle and broke the mood.

"And what is it that you find to be so amusing?"

"That envelope in your hand is poking me in the back of the head," she said with a grin that quickly disappeared when she saw the disappointed look on his face. "What's the matter?"

He sat up and pulled his arms from around her and set the envelope in her lap. "This is the information that I asked Matthew to check into while he was in London." He watched as she turned the envelope over in her hands. "You may want to rethink…._things_, when you read it."

"Then I won't read it," she said brightly and handed the envelope back to him.

He reached over and took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "It is important, ma belle, please?"

"Richard, I didn't come here to discuss my son or any legal issues," she said quietly, reaching out to undo the fastenings of his dressing gown. She leaned forward and captured his lips in a hungry kiss as her hands moved beneath the hem of his pyjama shirt.

He stayed her hands but continued to return her kiss. When she finally pulled back in frustration, he said, "Belle, slow down…I want to enjoy your seduction. You've arranged for champagne…and truffles..." His voice trailed off as he leaned in to kiss her again.

"Elsie had Anna bring me my gown and then…I thought this was your idea," she said with a raised brow.

Richard started to chuckle as he rose from the chaise and tucked the offending envelope behind the bucket of champagne. "I think that perhaps we've been set up, my dear."

"I don't understand."

" If I'm not mistaken, a very well meaning butler and housekeeper arranged all of this and then arranged for us to meet in this room."

"This isn't _your_ room?" she asked in surprise as he popped the cork on the champagne and poured them each a glass. "How did Matthew find you then?"

"I suspect that he saw me coming into the room and he waited until Charles had gone belowstairs before knocking on the door." He returned to sit on the chaise, reclining against the back and pulling her into his arms. "When I heard the knock and opened the door, imagine my surprise to find it wasn't you!"

She smiled against his chest when she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. She took a sip of champagne from her glass and set it on the small table next to the chaise lounge.

"I'm here now," she said seductively and cuddled up to his side. She slowly massaged one hand up his chest, coming to rest at the opening of his pyjama shirt where she toyed with a tuft of his chest hair that was sticking out the top.

"You most certainly are, my dear," he said with a chuckle and lifted her hand from his chest to press a kiss against her fingertips. "I only hope you'll still be here when I've shared with you what is in that envelope."

"Richard! As far as I am concerned, whatever is in that envelope can stay in that _bloody_ envelope!" She sat up straight and glared down at him.

"You are so beautiful when you're angry!" He reached up to cup her cheek and was rather taken aback when she pushed his hand away.

"Don't try and change the subject!"

"I'm glad you feel that way," he said firmly, "because what's in that envelope is very important, at least it is to me."

Isobel felt suddenly contrite when she saw the look on Richard's face. Picking up his hand and holding it in her lap she said, "I didn't mean to discount your feelings, Richard. If it is that important to you, then I'm all ears. Tell me…"

"Alright, I found out rather by accident that if you marry me, you will cease to exist."

"Pardon me?" she asked incredulously. "Are you planning to do away with me on our honeymoon?"

"Don't give me any ideas, woman!" he growled playfully and pulled her back into his arms. Tucking her head beneath his chin he stroked the length of her back gently with the tips of his fingers. "My concern is…if we marry, you will lose your independent standing in the community."

"I understand that," she said with a chuckle, "I will no longer be the Widow Crawley, I will become _Mrs_. Richard Clarkson, part and parcel."

"I rather like the sound of that," he said affectionately and hugged her close to plant a kiss on her forehead. "But that part and parcel you spoke of includes your legal and financial independence."

"I understand that as well. What I have becomes yours as what you have becomes mine, partners if you will."

"Not in the eyes of the law, my dear. As far as the courts are concerned, you cease to exist except as a part of me. Matthew called it coverture and that you would be a feme covert. You would no longer be able to have a bank account, you would not be able to enter into contracts or purchase property. I think even your salary from the hospital would come to me."

She raised up on one arm to look at him as he spoke and he could see the wheels turning in her mind as she tried to process what he had told her. He lay quietly beside her for several more minutes, stroking her back until she spoke.

"Well, I don't think that I would be entering into any contracts without your involvement and if there were any property to be purchased, we would do it together. And I'm certain that you'll pay all the bills so that we wouldn't have to do without electricity or food on the table," she gave him a smile and leaned in to kiss him softly. "I guess I could learn to live with those limitations, as long as I have you."

"I'm not certain that_ I_ can, ma belle," he said hesitantly. "It's not the legal or financial issues that concern me, I would always support anything you wanted to do or to have. What I am concerned about is the way you will be treated here in the village after we're married." He could feel her unvoiced question in the shift of her shoulders. "Today, you are a feme sole, you are seen as an independent woman with the right to march into the green grocer and order whatever it is that pleases you…and I must admit that I want to laugh every time I see Mr. Albert quaking in his boots and scurrying into the storeroom whenever you come through his door. I don't want that to change."

"Why should it change? I enjoy _making_ Mr. Albert quake in his boots, _Mrs_. Albert enjoys it when I make him quake in his boots!" she said with a laugh.

Looking up at her he stretched and kissed the end of her nose. "After we're married, Mr. Albert would have the legal right to tell you to have your husband come speak with him if there's anything to be ordered or purchased. I would be concerned that the men of the village would exact their revenge for any perceived slights."

" I fear you do them little justice, have a bit of faith."

"If this were a big city such as Manchester or London, I would agree with you. But we are small village with small minds and very small attitudes at times."

A small smirk turned the corner of her mouth up as she inclined her head to look down her nose at him.

"Then I guess you'll have to go and do the grocery shopping _for_ us but mark my words, laddie…if I find out that you've been flirting with Mrs. Albert to get the ripest tomatoes or the best of the summer squash, there will be hell to pay when you get home!" Laughing, he pulled her to him and kissed her soundly.

"And what revenge would you exact, ma belle?" he asked seductively loosening the ties on her dressing gown and pushing it off of her shoulders. Reaching down she pulled one end of the sash and held up in front of him.

"For starters, I might have to tie you to the bed…to keep you from seeking refuge in the storeroom with Mr. Albert, mind you."

The fire that her words ignited in his eyes caused a shiver to move through her as he tightened his arms and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She worked her hands beneath the fabric of his pyjama shirt and lightly scratched her nails along the patch of skin below his navel and was rewarded when the sounds of his pleasure hummed lightly against her lips. She could feel his fingers working the buttons on the back of her gown when he suddenly cursed and pulled away from her.

"It's these blasted buttons," he said in response to the question in her eyes. "Come…"

He sat up holding her gently in his arms. Swinging his legs over the edge of the chaise lounge, he stood and lifted her to her feet. Smoothing his hands over her hips and around her bottom, he pulled her close, leaving a trail of kisses along her jawline until he reached the high collar of her gown around her neck. He quirked an eyebrow and pursed his lips in a pout looking down into her eyes.

"This gown is beautiful and you look absolutely stunning wearing it, but it does have its drawbacks," he said softly and tugged at the collar with the tip of his index finger. She leaned back in his arms and ran her hands up the front of his chest to the uppermost button and began to unfasten it.

"Then I believe your first task should be to get me out of this gown," she said playfully, working the rest of the buttons on his shirt and sliding the fabric down his arms to fall on the floor behind them.

"Mmm…in a moment…I love the way you feel in my arms when you're wearing it."

He pulled her against his bare chest and wound his arms tightly around her, his fingertips gently teasing her skin where it peeked through the gaps in the lace bodice, his lips sucking and kissing every inch of bare skin they could find. He felt her arms slide around his neck and her hands tangled in the hair on the back of his head, pulling it back so that she could kiss him feverishly and bite at his lips and tongue as if she wanted to devour him in her desire for him. He felt his pyjama trousers become restrictive and decided that perhaps he'd better do something about getting her out of the gown before he ended up ripping off half the buttons as he'd done the last time she wore it. He lightly ran his fingers along her sides and up her arms to gently take hold of her wrists behind his head. Kissing his way to her left ear, he turned her in his arms and spooned up closely behind her.

She loved it when he was so tactile, as if he wanted to touch every inch of her skin with every inch of his. He had trapped her arms across her chest when he turned her and held them fast with one hand. Goosebumps rose on her spine when he smoothed his other hand from the juncture where her neck met her shoulder to the base of her hairline, pushing her wild curls over her other shoulder so that he could suckle the tender skin at the nape of her neck.

"Belle, you torture me with your touch," he whispered hoarsely in her ear when she reached behind her. "Let me get you out of this gown before I lose all ability to focus." He loosened his grip and she reached up with both hands to begin unfastening the buttons at the top of her gown. Batting her hands away he growled, "No, you don't, those belong to me!" She laughed and lowered her hands so she could reach behind and brush the tops of his thighs. He struggled with the buttons, exercising care and caution but he'd still managed to tear two of them off before he'd gotten a dozen of them undone. "Damn, I can't see anything! Move closer to the fireplace, I'll light the lamp so that I can see what I'm doing."

"Much better," he said in her ear and kissed the top of her shoulder before returning to the task at hand. The oil lamp gave him just enough light to see what he was doing and his nimble surgeon's fingers made short work of the remaining buttons. Her skin seemed to glow in the soft light and he took every opportunity presented to touch and kiss what was exposed. By the time he pushed the gown forward off her shoulders so that it could pool around her feet, she felt as if he had explored every inch of her body. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest.

He leaned to whisper in her ear, "Shall we move to the bed, darling?"

"Let's not," she moaned softly, "I like the feel of the heat from the fire on your skin

"Then I suggest we move to the chaise," his voice low in her ear, "make yourself comfortable while I take care of these trousers."

He gave her a playful swat on the bottom and watched her hips for a moment as she stepped away from him. He glanced down to work the last fastening on his pyjamas loose and quickly pushed them down to his ankles and stepped out of them. When he turned back to the chaise lounge he found he could barely breathe.

She stood beside the chaise with her back to him and was absolutely stunning in the soft firelight. She turned her head so she could kiss him and he could see his own hunger reflected in her eyes. He kissed her once more and then pulled back trailing his fingers along her spine. Settling them comfortably on the chaise, he continued to touch her and make love to her until neither of them could control the motion of their bodies. It was the sound of her voice calling out his name as she arched against his chest in her passion that sent him flying over the edge after her.

When his senses began to clear and his breathing returned to normal, he found that she was still trembling sporadically as she lay in his arms. He tightened his grip and pulled her back against his chest and began to murmur sweet nothings in her ear.

'Belle, I love you,' he whispered, 'I have missed you so much even though I see you every day at the hospital.'

'I love you too,' she replied, 'Thank you.'

'What for?' he asked moving to settle her on her back on the chaise lounge so that he could look down at her.

'That was amazing!' she said with a laugh. She reached up to cup his cheek and pulled him down for a slow sweet kiss.

'Mmm…you can thank me that way for anything you wish.' His head turned as the chimes in the mantle clock struck three o'clock in the morning. 'Perhaps we should…' his voice trailed off when he turned back and found her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply and evenly. His breath came out in a small snort of laughter as he slipped carefully off the chaise lounge.

He stepped over to the fireplace to pull on his pyjama trousers and placed another couple of logs on the fire to keep the room warm. Then pulling the extra blanket from the foot of the bed, he managed to slip back into her arms without rousing her much as he spread the blanket over the two them. He was thinking about how soon it would be before Charles came to wake them to go back to their own rooms but decided that it had been well worth the effort as he leaned in to kiss her forehead before sleep claimed him as well.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: For those that are interested, there is a supplemental Chapter for this one over in the M-rated section in the story titled "A Father's Heart Supplemental Chapters"…imaginative title don't you think! LOL! I hope you enjoyed this entry in the story and would appreciate it if you drop me note to let me know what you think. THANKS!**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**A/N: I suffered the fate that so many of us have recently over on Tumblr…..some rather nasty Anons leaving some rather rough and rude messages. Those messages resulted in my knee-jerk response to end this story before my original plan. But I found myself needing to finish telling this story so I've decided to take it back and continue. I hope that my regulars will stick with me and I welcome input from any new readers. I hope my story is pleasing to you and that you enjoy reading it as much I have enjoyed writing it. **_

_**Disclaimer: I still think JF is a troll and that's why so much of fanon suddenly seems to be becoming canon…but I don't mind that in the least as it seems as though our favorite OTPs will be in the mix! And in the meantime, I hope that he doesn't mind that I've borrowed his playthings to entertain myself and my friends for a bit! I make nothing from these writings and no copyright infringement is intended!**_

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><p>"Mmm…" she purred and snuggled down into the quilt as his strong hands gently rubbed her back. His mustache and chin stubble scratching their way along the top of her shoulder. Turning onto her back, she stretched and opened her eyes to find that she wasn't in the room that she had come to consider as hers when she stayed at the Abbey. She smiled sleepily when he leaned in to kiss her on the mouth, her own hand moving to the back of his head to hold him near as she deepened the kiss. Nibbling on his lower lip, her tongue darted out to trace the contours and found his lips parting in response. After several long moments of pure bliss, he finally pulled back with a soft grunt.<p>

"Ma belle, much as I would love a reprise of last night, I suspect our neighbors will be up and about soon." He indulged her another passionate kiss before breaking away with a chuckle, "I could never explain away the amount of noise coming from this room for I am certain that I would not be able to hold myself back nor would I want to!"

"I suppose that I'd best be getting back to my room then," she said with a mock pout. "What time is it?"

"Going on eight o'clock in the morning."

"Goodness! I'll never get back there without being seen by _someone_," she exclaimed sitting up on the chaise lounge. The quilt twisted itself around her waist and when she turned to look at him, she found his warm and appreciative gaze focused on her bare breasts as they bounced in response to her actions. "Richard…"

"Hmm?!" he murmured, shifting his eyes upwards to find her grinning at him. "Wanton wench!" he exclaimed teasingly and stretched from where he knelt beside the chaise so that he could kiss the smirk from her face. "Cover yourself and I'll share my breakfast with you."

"We will be expected downstairs for breakfast," she said glumly as she rose from the chaise and looked around for her dressing gown.

"Not to worry, my dear, I went to the kitchens to see if I could find some tea and found _Charles_ in his pantry. He will tell the family that we were both called away to a medical emergency in the village. We can stay here as late as we wish as long as we are _back_ in time for supper."

She stood before him and slipped her arms around his waist and pressed herself against his chest. "You lovely man! Remind me to thank Charles!"

Leaning down to kiss her lightly on the mouth he whispered, "We should do that anyway. But don't forget that Matthew wishes to see me…_us_…after lunch so we shouldn't lie abed for too much longer." He turned from her to retrieve a wooden tray from the foot of the bed and set it on end of the chaise lounge. "I'm afraid it's just a servant's breakfast…porridge, toast and tea," he said holding out one hand and guiding her to sit against the reclining portion of the chaise. He, in turn, seated himself on the floor beside her within easy reach of the tray. Handing her up a cup of tea with a splash of milk, he asked, "There is honey or marmalade for the porridge if you wish."

"Honey sounds nice," she murmured taking a sip of her tea. "Richard?"

"Yes, dear?" he replied taking the cup and saucer from her and replacing it with a bowl of porridge and a spoon.

"Why are you going to all this trouble?"

"It's no trouble, I thought you might be hungry this morning after…well, after last night's _activities_?" he laughed.

"Very decadent indeed, having breakfast in bed with my lover," she said with a smile and reached out to smooth the hair behind his ear with a loving caress. "I'm talking about Matthew, why would you have him do all this research? Unless…"

"Unless what, mon ami?" he said catching her hand and kissing the inside of her wrist.

"Unless you are trying to convince _not_ to marry you," she stated simply. He scrambled as he almost dropped his bowl of porridge onto the carpet between his knees.

"Isobel! How could you even think that?" he yelped and set his dish onto the tray. He rose to his knees and turned to face her. He could see the confusion in her face and reached out to take her bowl of porridge and set it next to his. Leaning on the arm of the chaise, he rose stiffly to his feet. "Damn knees!" he cursed mildly under his breath. Then he leaned down and took her hands in his and pulled her to her feet. "I had planned on selecting a much more romantic setting but you have left me no choice." Lowering himself to one knee before her, he continued to hold her hands in his as he looked up at her.

"Isobel Eileen Crawley, I love you with all my heart and all of my soul…will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Looking down into his face she felt as if she literally was seeing into his soul and the love he felt for her reflected back to warm her own heart. How had she been blessed to have such a wonderful man love her and want her so openly. Leaning down, she kissed him longingly on the mouth before straightening and pulling him to stand in front of her.

"Richard Kyle Clarkson, I love you with all my heart and yes, I will gladly become your wife." Slipping her arms around his waist, she melted against his chest when he pulled her close to kiss her. It wasn't until they heard the sound of Charles voice calling quietly from the hallway that they noticed the bedroom door was ajar.

She reached up and lay a finger on his lips and whispered, "Not a word until we've talked with Matthew!"

He kissed her fingertips and then squeezed her hand in his, "Agreed!"

"Come in, Charles," she called out and returned to sit on the chaise lounge and picked up her bowl of cold porridge. She was determined that Richard's efforts not go unappreciated. "Good morning!"

Although Charles felt very close to both Richard and Isobel, walking into the privacy of their sleeping quarters wasn't something he was comfortable with. He kept his head down and his eyes averted by looking away from the sound of Isobel's voice which brought his gaze to the bed that had very obviously not been slept in. He frowned and looked over at Richard with a raised eyebrow. Richard smiled and nodded his head towards the chaise lounge.

Charles instinctively turned to look and saw the quilt on the floor in front of the fireplace and Isobel reclining on the chaise with one ankle exposed through the opening in her dressing gown. He coughed and a blush tinted his cheeks pink as he turned away from her.

"R-richard," he stammered and held out a carpet bag in front of him, "I brought some of your things so that you could dress and groom yourself. Elsie will be along shortly with Isobel's things." Just then there was a knock on the door and Charles was glad of the distraction as he strode over and opened the door enough to see that it was his wife and quickly ushered her into the room.

Elsie walked over and laid out the dress, corset and underthings that she'd carefully carried over her arm along with a cloth wrapped bundle. Taking note of the untouched bed, she turned and pursed her lips at Isobel. Isobel stretched her leg, knocking one of the throw pillows from the chaise which came to rest atop the quilt in front of the fire, a mischievous smirk fluttering across her lips as she glanced coyly at Elsie over the rim of her teacup.

Elsie rolled her eyes with a smile and walked over to give Richard a kiss on the cheek, "Good morning, you're looking well this morning!"

Richard blushed and gave her a quick hug. "Yes, very well this morning!"

She moved to draw the drapes, letting the watery winter sunshine spill into the room. "Your brush and comb and hairpins are in the bundle. I've a few minutes to help you dress if you like."

"I'll be fine on my own!" declared Isobel, "If not, I'm certain that Richard can give me a hand…or two." She was near giddy with the excitement of keeping her engagement a secret from her best friend and it was beginning to show itself in her bold and playful behavior. Elsie turned and narrowed her eyes for a moment as she wondered about what it was that she was missing in the conversation.

Charles moved to the door and peeked out into the hallway. "I informed his Lordship at breakfast that you were called away to the Village and he was very understanding although I must say that the widow Prentiss was rather disappointed with the news. Seems she had something she wanted to discuss with the _good doctor _as she put it."

Richard moved over to stand next to the chaise and reached out to run his hand under Isobel's hair and cup the back of her neck. "I believe that the widow Prentiss will have to schedule an appointment if she wishes to discuss a medical matter with me. And my missus…err, Mrs. Crawley may have something to say about that."

Elsie's ears picked up on the words that he'd stumbled over and she frowned for a moment before the light dawned in her eyes. She waited for a confirming nod from Isobel before rushing over to envelope her friend in her arms.

"Right before you came in," said Isobel returning the warm hug.

"Oh, Isobel, I couldn't be happier!"

"Thank you, but not a word, promise?"

Elsie nodded and rose from the chaise to find Charles frowning deeply as he tried to make heads or tails of what was going on. "Oh, come on, you," she said affectionately as she placed one hand on his arm to shoo him out the door. "I'll explain everything…provided…"

"Yes, of course," responded Isobel to the unasked question.

Charles shrugged helplessly and turned to Richard, "Just be sure that you come all the way down the staircase to the servant's hall when you're ready. Then it will be plausible that you've parked your motorcar out back and used the servant's entrance to return."

"Matthew wishes to speak with the pair of us so we'll be _returning_ in time for lunch."

Charles nodded as Elsie pushed him out the door and into the hall. Looking back over her shoulder she said, "Come by my parlor when you've finished with Matthew?" Isobel nodded and watched as Elsie went out the door and closed it firmly behind her.

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><p><em><strong>AN2: So there you have, it's official! Richard and Isobel are engaged! Are you taking notes Fellowes? Reviews would be most welcome at the moment as I shredded my previous outline for this story and can now take it in any direction that I like….I still have some ideas but your input would be most valuable! Thanks!**_


	30. Chapter 30

"You go put that dress on while I put the kettle on?" asked Isobel, moving a small step-stool to the center of the room.

"Mmm," murmured Elsie, giving the dress a critical eye before smiling up at her friend with a nod. "That sounds wonderful!" She groaned as she rose from the settee where she'd been sitting hunched over, carefully sewing the delicate lace to the bodice of her dress for almost two hours.

Isobel busied herself in the small kitchen, setting out cups and saucers and helping herself to the tin of shortbreads that she knew was secreted in the cabinet above the sink. A small smile tweaked the corner of her mouth as she remembered the last time that she and Richard had been over for supper with the Carsons. Watching Charles sidle up behind Elsie as she stood washing dishes in the sink, reaching above her head to fish out a few shortbreads for the men to have with their whiskey. She could still feel the brush of Richard's fingers against her skin in response to watching Charles planting an affectionate peck on Elsie's neck as he closed the cupboard door. Hearing the rustle of fabric behind her, she finished wetting the tea and turned to find Elsie standing patiently on the stool.

"You were miles away…" Her voice trailed off when Isobel began to shake her head slowly back and forth. "Is something the matter? Crooked seam?" She twitched back and forth trying to look over her shoulder at the back of her skirt.

"Nothing's the matter, you look absolutely…"

The cottage door suddenly blew open as two snow covered hulks shuffled in, one of them holding a basket. The taller of the two turned to close the door while the other pulled down his scarf to reveal sparkling blue eyes with a silver mustache overtop a widening smile.

Charles turned back to the room only to find his cap being pulled down over his face. "Shut your eyes!" exclaimed Isobel as she looked over her shoulder to make sure that Elsie had enough time to scurry into the bedroom.

"Have you lost your mind, woman?!" Charles bellowed and pulled his cap off just in time to see a slip of maroon brocade disappear through the gap in the bedroom door. "What?!" His mouth opened and closed like a fish before he leveled a glare at Isobel.

"She doesn't want you to see her dress before the Servants' Ball," explained Isobel leaning into Richard for a kiss to her cheek as she unwound his scarf and helped him off with his coat. "She would like for it to be a surprise!"

"Trust me, Charles, it will be worth the wait," he said with a wink and roguish smile.

"Mind your own woman, doctor," grumbled Charles with a mock scowl, handing over the basket so he could hang his own coat and scarf on the hook.

Richard laughed and set the basket on the kitchen table to unpack it. "Mrs. Patmore said she thought the two of you would be about ready for tea by now," he said uncovering a plate with petit fours and scones on it. He set it down next to a larger plate stacked with sandwiches beside two bottles of beer.

"I could do with some lunch myself, how about you, Elsie?" Reaching over towards the plate of sandwiches, she felt a sharp smack on her bottom. "I'll share my sandwiches but I've been looking forward to that lager all morning!" Richard chuckled as he smoothed his hand over her hip and leaned in to give a playful nip behind her ear. "And that may be all the comfort you get today, if you keep that up!" she intoned with a knowing wink at Elsie who came through the bedroom door buttoning the cuff of her blouse.

"All right you lot," she said playfully and kissed Charles lightly on the corner of his mouth. "Let's sit down and have our tea like civilized folk, hm? Will Joseph be joining you for cribbage this afternoon?" she inquired as she set about laying plates and cutlery while Richard held Isobel's chair for her.

"He said that he would try but with William gone for the afternoon, he wasn't sure." Charles pulled out a chair for his wife and then sat beside her as she placed two sandwiches on his plate.

"And where is young Mr. Mason off to this afternoon?" asked Richard reaching into one of the kitchen cupboards. Returning to sit at the table, he unfastened the cap on one of the bottles and poured half the lager into the glass that he'd brought with him and held it out to Isobel. "Peace?" He could feel his ears warm with a blush as she smiled warmly at him and squeezed his thigh under the table.

"He's asked Miss Daisy to tea in the village this afternoon." Elsie chuckled and took a sip when Charles held out his own bottle of lager to share.

"A budding romance?" asked Isobel.

"It's been budding for awhile, at least as far as Daisy's concerned! But I think that William is ready to settle down now as well, I think he's taken her off to ask her to walk out with him," replied Elsie. "I guess we won't know until they get back!"

"Surely, you don't think she'll deny him?" exclaimed Charles through a great bite of his sandwich.

"Hmmm," murmured Isobel playfully, "It's always a woman's prerogative to say no." She almost laughed aloud when Charles expressive eyebrows quirked questioningly as he glanced at Richard.

"Perhaps I should have had a word beforehand, given the lad a few pointers?"

The women rolled their eyes at each other as Elsie snorted, "That's all the boy would have needed, either one of you giving him lessons in wooing a young lass!"

"I don't remember you complaining when we were courting, Mrs. Carson," Charles grumbled as quietly as his deep baritone would let him. Elsie leaned over to cup his cheek and kiss the end of his nose. "There was naught to complain about," she thickened her brogue a bit and smiled when she felt his response beneath her hand. "But neither was I a wee lass nor you a young laddie!"

The foursome broke into laughter and began to speculate on where the young couple had gone off to and shared tales about their own youthful courtships.

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><p><strong>AN: Short and not a lot of substance but I've committed to myself to write at least 500 words per week to see if I can't get hold of both my muse and my characters and finish this story off!**


	31. Chapter 31

_**A/N:**__ I apologize this is so short. I was cracking along and received a bit of personal news that derailed me for the last part of the chapter. But it's been much better than I thought and it will be good to run the next bit past a beta before posting anyway….so here's this bit to move the story along!_

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><p>William had been excited when he first woke and saw the mantle of white covering the distant meadows, the only landscape that he could see from the tiny window in his attic room. His lip twitched up at the corner as he contemplated snowball fights and the possibility of finding himself with Daisy beneath a snow covered tree with a ball of mistletoe draped over one of the branches on their way home from the village that afternoon. He tugged on his waistcoat and smoothed his hand over his hair to make certain the small cowlick on the crown of his head was in place before setting off down the stairs to begin his day.<p>

W oOo D

"Marmalade, Daisy?" intoned Mrs. Patmore with an edge to her voice. She rolled her eyes at Mrs. Hughes who smiled into her teacup having heard from Charles that William had been a bundle of distraction at supper the night before.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Patmore," the girl whinged a bit as she returned to the kitchen to fetch the pots for the breakfast table.

"That girl is going to be the death of me if those two don't get on…" Mrs. Patmore's voice trailed off when William appeared in the doorway with a face he was bound to trip over if it were any longer. She felt Mrs. Hughes nudge her in the hip and looked down to shrug her shoulders at the question in her friend's eyes.

"Good morning, William!" sang Daisy as she skirted around him to set the pots of marmalade on the servants' table. She gave a startled frown at his hand on her shoulder and then smiled shyly when she realized who it was.

He fidgeted with the points on his waistcoat, searching for the right words, "I…I'm sorry…Daisy…I think we're going to have to postpone our trip to the village this afternoon."

"B-but..." she stuttered in disappointment, "I understand, if you have other things to do."

"No, Daisy!" he exclaimed and reached out to cup her elbow. "The snow, it's already up to _my_ knees and doesn't give any sign of stopping soon. We would never make it to the village."

Daisy could see that he was as disappointed as she was at having to cancel their plans. "The weather's sure to be warmer next month, now sit down and eat your breakfast," she said brightly and motioned to his usual chair.

"My parlor?" asked Mrs. Hughes quietly from the side of her mouth.

"As soon as I've set her to kneading the breads for supper," agreed Mrs. Patmore with a curt nod as she headed back into the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron.

W oOo D

William went in search of Mr. Carson to see if there weren't a few extra tasks that needed doing since he now had the entire afternoon free. He'd considered going down to the stables but decided there wouldn't be much to do down there either with not being able to exercise the horses in this weather. It was the first time in his life that he was truly disappointed at the prospect of more snow.

Finding the butler's pantry empty, he turned to knock on the door of the housekeeper's parlor when the door opened of its own accord and out stepped Mrs. Hughes in her overcoat and scarf. "Oh, there you are William," she said distractedly, fishing in her handbag for her gloves. "Now…Mrs. Patmore says to give her fifteen minutes and she'll have Daisy washed up and ready to go."

"Go? Go where?" His brow wrinkled in question as she pushed him through the door and into her parlor. Looking around, he noticed that the small table and chairs had been pulled away from the wall and set with flowers and a tea service. A covered tray sat on the side and he surmised there were scones or sandwiches or some other treats to go with the tea. He turned to her with a warm smile, understanding that she'd done all of this for him. "Thank you, Mum, but I think Da will have some tasks all lined up to keep me busy."

"Och, Mr. Carson's in the kitchen badgering Mrs. Patmore about the sweets for his cribbage game with his cronies this afternoon and I'm just off to meet Isobel...erm, Mrs. Crawley at the cottage to work on our new frocks." She smiled and patted his cheek affectionately when he leaned to place a kiss on hers. "I can't guarantee that Mrs. Patmore won't be hovering outside the door but you should be able to have that discussion you were hoping to have with Daisy."

"What discussion is that?" asked a bewildered Daisy with Mrs. Patmore close behind tweaking the strings of the girl's apron and tugging it from her body.

"Come along, Mrs. Patmore," Mrs. Hughes said with a meaningful smile, "Let's leave these two to their tea and talk." She shut the door firmly behind her but not before almost tripping over her friend who was trying to get one last peek over her shoulder. "Beryl!"

"What?!" Mrs. Patmore exclaimed with a sour face. "Are you sure they'll be okay in there? Alone?"

"Beryl Patmore, you know as well as I do that our William is nothing, if not a gentleman!" Elsie tugged on her gloves, gave her friend an understanding smile, and headed for the back door to make the journey to the cottage.

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><p><em>AN2: The conversation between William and Daisy is forthcoming, I hope that you're enjoying the story and I hope I'm getting back on track! _


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